Ukrainian incursion into Kursk: NATO backs self-defence claims
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces' incursion into the Kursk region in Russia is in accordance with international law and Ukraine's right to self-defence. This is the Alliance's leader's first official statement on the Ukrainian offensive.
- The Russian soldiers, tanks and bases there [Kursk] are legitimate targets under international law - Stoltenberg stated. - Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border - he emphasised.
He added that the Ukrainian side did not inform NATO about its plans for the Kursk region offensive. He also conveyed that the Alliance did not play any role in it.
He announced that NATO will continue to support Ukraine, supplying it with weapons and equipment necessary to repel Russian aggression.
"Ukraine decides how to defend itself"
He welcomed Germany's clear commitment to remain a leading European and second-ranked donor of military aid to Ukraine. As AFP reminded, last week, the government in Berlin faced sharp criticism over the planned reduction of military aid to Kyiv in 2025.
According to the NATO chief, Ukraine took a risk by entering Russian territory, but it is up to them to decide how to conduct this military operation.
- President Zelensky has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border. (…) Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine's decision how to defend itself, - Stoltenberg emphasised in the German newspaper.
"Kursk operation". Ukraine on its successes
The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive operation in the Kursk region on August 6. Kyiv reported an increase in the area controlled by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. According to Oleksandr Syrsky, the area occupied by Ukrainian armed forces expanded to 1,264 square kilometres, with 100 localities.
So far, Ukrainian forces near Kursk have taken 594 Russian soldiers prisoner.
The Ukrainian army entered without significant problems because the Russians did not consider the possibility of an invasion. Warning signals for the Kremlin were not even the spring raids carried out in the region by forces fighting on Ukraine's side: the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), the Siberia Battalion, and the "Freedom of Russia" Legion.
