Ukraine claims control of 100 settlements and an area of 1,294 square kilometers in the Russian border region of Kursk, where it has captured 594 enemy soldiers since the start of its offensive three weeks ago, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces said.
“To date, we have taken control of 1,294 square kilometers of territory and 100 settlements,” Oleksandr Sirskiy said during a forum in Kyiv. “Five hundred and ninety-four members of the Russian armed forces have been captured in this zone,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied a media report that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region derailed talks in Qatar aimed at ending Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Ukraine and Russia were ready to send delegations to Qatar this month to negotiate a landmark deal aimed at ending strikes on energy infrastructure on both warring sides.
Ukraine has captured 594 prisoners of war so far during its invasion of Russia’s Kursk region, Kiev’s top commander Oleksandr Syrsky said on Tuesday.
The top general claimed that the surprise operation, which has been ongoing for three weeks, has managed to draw out a “significant number of Russian soldiers”.
“As of now we can say that the Kremlin has sent about 30,000 troops from other directions to Kursk and their number is growing,” Syrskyi added during a forum in Kiev on Tuesday. “At the same time the enemy is trying to avoid diverting forces from Pokrovsk, where it has increased its military thrust.”
Russian forces have gained ground in Ukraine’s Donetsk region around Pokrovsk, even as Ukraine’s special military operation inside Russia has seized land, towns and villages. Ukraine’s goal in Kursk, Syrsky added, is to divert Russian forces from other areas of the front line, notably Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
“As of today, we have taken under our control 1,294 square kilometers of land there [στο Κουρσκ]100 settlements,” said Syrsky. “Also, due to the successful actions of our forces, we managed to increase the exchange fund, as of today we took 594 prisoners of war in this direction.”
It is the first time that a Ukrainian official has disclosed the number of prisoners of war captured.
“As you know, Russia has been shelling our territories from Kursk, causing many casualties among the locals,” Syrsky explained. “Thus, with the aim of stopping the firing, establishing the security zone, protecting our civilian population, soldiers and infrastructure, but also conducting a preventive operation against the enemy who was gathering forces near our Sumy area, we decided to we enter Kursk”.
With F-16 the repulsion of the Russian attack
F-16 aircraft were used to repel the latest Russian attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today during a press conference in Kiev.
The F-16s have shown very good results so far, they were used to repel the latest Russian attack, the Ukrainian president said.
The Ukrainian president announced that the first Ukrainian ballistic missile was successfully tested.
“The first Ukrainian ballistic missile was successfully tested. I congratulate our defense industry for this,” Zelensky said during a press conference in Kiev, while refusing to “give more details” about this new weapon.
Zelensky: “The war with Russia will finally end through dialogue”
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine plans to present a plan on how to end the war with Russia to Democratic and Republican presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
In addition to invading Russia’s Kursk region, the plan, the Ukrainian leader said at a press conference in Kiev, includes more steps on the diplomatic and economic front. He also said he would present the plan to US President Joe Biden.
Volodymyr Zelensky also said the war with Russia would eventually end through dialogue, but Kiev must be in a strong position, at a summit it hopes to hold this year, to promote its own vision of peace.
The first ballistic missile test
The Ukrainian president announced during the press conference that Ukraine conducted the first test of a self-made ballistic missile.
He also denied a media report that Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s Kursk region derailed talks in Qatar on ending Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Ukraine and Russia were ready to send delegations to Qatar this month to negotiate a landmark deal that would end strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine’s demands from the West to allow it to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons amounted to blackmail, according to Reuters.
Russia is “adjusting” its nuclear weapons doctrine and that it is dangerous for Western nuclear powers to “play with fire,” says Lavrov.
Notably, Ukrainian President Zelensky has argued that using Western-made weapons to strike targets deeper inside Russia would reduce Moscow’s ability to attack Ukraine.
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