Ukrainian forces strike Kursk, weaken Russian hold

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with "Le Monde" revealed that the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region was necessary. "I had no choice; I had to carry out this operation," he said, highlighting the threat from Russian forces that could advance into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

Syrskyi explained that the aim of the offensive was to disrupt the Russian advance on Kharkiv, reduce pressure on all fronts, and prevent the opening of a new front in Sumy. "Therefore, I decided to conduct the offensive where the enemy had a weak point, with very few soldiers to guard the border," added the general.

In August 2024, Ukrainian troops advanced into the Kursk region, marking the first capture of Russian territories in the war that has already lasted nearly three years. The Ukrainian army controlled an area measuring approximately 7 by 25 miles, encompassing 28 Russian localities. However, as "The Economist" reports, Ukraine has already lost half of the occupied territory.

Currently, all units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region are in a defensive position. The retreat began at the end of September when elite units were replaced by less experienced ones. In November, Vladimir Putin set the Russian army the objective of driving Ukrainians out of the Kursk region by 20 January, the time when president-elect Donald Trump is set to take office in the USA.

Source: "Le Monde"/suspilne.media/Interia