Zelenskyy: «The offensive on Kursk region is a preventive strike for the defense of Sumy»

Road sign «Kursk Region». Photo by Global Look Press

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the offensive of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region of Russia was a «preventive strike» to avoid the encirclement of Ukrainian units and the occupation of the city of Sumy.

He said this on August 24 during a conversation with journalists, UNIAN writes.

He noted that the operation in Kursk region is «complicated», but has already completed several tasks, including, in particular, replenishment of the exchange fund.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized that the operation aims to show Russian society that «it is more expensive for it to occupy the territories of Ukraine or protect its population.»

«And I am very glad that everything I told my partners about, we have now shown it in practice. He is still thinking about how to keep the captured territories and does not think about how to properly protect his people. He is now bombing his villages. Just bravo,» said the president.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied that the purpose of the offensive on Kursk region was to «play cards» for negotiations.

Operation in the Kursk region

The Russian side claims that on August 6, the Ukrainian military tried to break through the border and gain a foothold in the Sudzhanskyi and Korenevskyi districts of the Kursk region.

On August 12, the governor of the region, Oleksii Smirnov, reported to the leader of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, that 28 settlements in the Kursk region «are under the control of the enemy.»

On the evening of August 12, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation in the Kursk region. According to him, this was necessary to ensure the security of the border areas from the Russian military.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhyi Tyhii, said that Ukraine is not interested in taking the territories of the Kursk region of Russia. Currently, Ukraine is protecting its citizens, who are being fired upon by the Russian military from the territory of this region.

We will remind that in the Kursk region, on August 14, special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine captured 102 soldiers of the 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Armed Forces of Russia and the special unit «Akhmat». It is noted that this is the largest capture of the enemy, which was carried out at one time.

Also, according to local media reports, six Russian soldiers were captured by the Armed Forces, and the Russian Telegram channel «VChK-OGPU» claims that the Chechen special forces «Akhmat» stationed on the border have left their positions, and 15 soldiers were injured.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that as of August 14, the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed the enemy in the city of Sudzha, Kursk Region of the Russian Federation. More than 100 Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner, the defense operation continues.

On August 15, representatives of Ukraine and the Russian Federation begin negotiations on the exchange of prisoners of war in the Kursk region.