Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference on August 24 that the Ukrainian operation in Russia’s Kursk region helped prevent the occupation of the Sumy region and its regional center, the city of Sumy.
Ukraine began its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6. By August 20, the Ukrainian military said it had captured 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) and 93 settlements, including the town of Sudzha.
The Kursk region borders the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, an area that has been subjected to daily Russian attacks since parts of it were liberated in April 2022.
Zelensky praised the progress of the operation in the Kursk region, adding: “The operation is complex, and it is important that it goes according to our plan.”
The president said he could not disclose all the goals and results of the operation, but one of them was to replenish stocks of Russian prisoners of war who could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.
“The exchange fund is being replenished, which is positive,” Zelensky said.
“Secondly, we stopped a Russian operation in the north (of Ukraine), (delivered) a preemptive strike, and we accomplished this mission. We prevented the encirclement of part of the Sumy region,” he added.
Morning in Sudzha: Inside Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine as Kursk operation continues
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent traveled to Russia’s Kursk region with Ukrainian soldiers during the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in the region. Because the trip constituted an unauthorized crossing of the Russia-Ukraine border, the identities of the report’s authors are unknown.
Zelensky expressed hope that all the goals of the operation in the Kursk region would be achieved. The president added that one of these goals is to show “who Russian President Vladimir Putin really is.”
“Our goal is to show their (Russian) society what is more valuable to him (Putin): the occupation of Ukrainian territories or the protection of the Russian population. I am very happy that everything I told our partners about has now become a reality,” Zelensky said.
“He (Putin) is still thinking about how to hold the occupied territories and not thinking about how to protect his people. Now he is bombing his villages. His people there are shocked that they believed this devil.”
On August 21, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Russian aircraft dropped 27 guided bombs on Ukrainian-controlled settlements in the Kursk region.
Russia also continued to shell border communities in Ukraine’s Sumy region, including the villages of Borozhok and Boznya. Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate a total of 45,000 people from the area amid intensified Russian attacks.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on August 14 that the Ukrainian military is creating “Security zone“On Russian territory to protect Ukrainian border areas.
Vereshchuk said Ukraine would carry out humanitarian operations in the region, including creating safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians – either to Ukraine or to other parts of Russia.
The “buffer zone” in Ukraine’s Kursk region – here’s what you need to know
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 18 that Ukraine aims to create a buffer zone in Russia’s Kursk region, outlining some of the strategic goals of the ongoing operation. “Our main task now in defensive operations in general is to destroy as much of Russia’s war potential as possible and
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