President Volodymyr Zelensky Kiev on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian troops were fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and said the operation was part of Kiev’s drive to restore justice after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Russia said Ukrainian Army Russian troops intruded into the Kursk region last Tuesday and Russian military bloggers have acknowledged they have made some progress, saying the situation has now stabilised.
Earlier, Zelenskyy had maintained silence about this operation.
In his midnight video address, the president said he discussed the operation with top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Sirsky, and did not forget the battles faced by the troops on the difficult eastern front.
“Today I received several reports from Commander-in-Chief Sirsky regarding our actions to advance the battle on the front lines and in the aggressor’s zone,” he said.
“I am grateful to every unit of the defence forces for ensuring this,” he said. Ukraine It is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the attacker.”
Zelenskyy has previously referred to the operation, praising the military’s ability to “surprise” and thanking them for capturing Russian soldiers for use in future negotiations, specifically mentioning last week.
Paying tribute to Ukrainian forces along the 1,000-kilometre-long front line, Zelensky made special mention of actions taken in the northern Sumy region, just across the border from Russia’s Kursk region.
Russia has stepped up guided bombs and other air strikes on Sumy, leading to mass evacuations.