Short version
- Russia launched a counteroffensive in Kursk to regain control that Ukraine had gained in August.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky says the fighting follows their plan, and that Ukraine will stand firm as long as it is in their interest.
- Zelensky travels to the United Nations in New York to present a plan that could lead to peace and strengthen Ukraine.
The Kremlin leadership is now trying to retake areas captured by Ukrainian soldiers after the shocking lightning offensive in early August.
The US Pentagon and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russian forces are retaking some villages.
But hardly more.
Zelensky said during one of the meetings: The Russian counterattack is in line with our Ukrainian plan. Press conference on Thursday.
The president says the acts of war taking place now are also part of Ukraine's plan to end the conflict.
The attack that shocked Russia
Ukrainian invasion of Kursk
August 6 Ukrainian soldiers have stormed the border into neighboring Russia. Videos and photos have shown Ukrainian troops in Kursk, an area used by Russian forces as a base for airstrikes against Ukraine.
Deep secrecy, combat-experienced special forces and the use of fast Western-made armored vehicles were the keys to Ukraine's blitzkrieg against Russia.
Within a few days, Ukrainian mechanized forces quickly swept through the Russian region, taking control of dozens of villages and more than a thousand square kilometers.
Many analysts explain the Ukrainian blitzkrieg as follows:
The war has long been deadlocked on the front, with Russia advancing slowly but surely—even if it is suffering heavy losses. With the offensive, Ukraine will pressure Putin to prioritize either fighting the Ukrainians at Kursk, or fighting the Ukrainians at Donetsk—to secure significant territorial gains.
The big question is:
- Will Ukraine withdraw? Or will they try to hold on to the territory they have captured?
Russia's reaction
Vladimir Putin refers to the attacks as a “large-scale provocation.”
Within days, a state of emergency and “anti-terrorist measures” were imposed in three regions: Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk.
In addition, Moscow has called up reservists, according to reports. Reuters This is one of the largest Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory since Russia expanded its invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
The process has attracted attention for several reasons:
- Ukraine entered with regular forces, not paramilitary forces as we saw several cases in 2023.
- There was a vacuum into which Ukraine entered, and there seemed to be little opposition from Russia.
- Several weeks have passed, and the Russians have not yet been able to provide any strong response to the attack.
make strong resistance
“We will hold our ground,” says the Ukrainian commander, who speaks under the nickname “Boxer.” Washington Post.
It was supposed to take several weeks for Russia, but now their military hardware was massed at Kursk.
– The situation is dangerous, everything is being bombed, the road that supplies are being transported on is no longer usable. He says they are under fire.
According to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Ukrainian forces are putting up a strong resistance in the Kursk region. Russian forces appear to have made only marginal progress.
– Ukrainian forces appear to be ready for Russian counterattacks, says Lt. Col. Bali Yedstebu.
In early August, Ukrainian forces took control of about 500 square kilometers in Kursk, including 100 settlements. They captured nearly 600 Russian soldiers.
– Russian forces have so far advanced into areas of Kursk Oblast that Ukrainian forces have not yet fully captured or attempted to capture, the Institute for the Study of War wrote in the report.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say Russian forces are likely to face challenges in the future.
Because when they try to advance into areas on the front line, they will encounter defensive lines where Ukrainian forces have better control.
We need at least 50,000 soldiers.
Inside Ukraine, Russian forces have been making slow but very steady and strategically important advances. Many analysts have speculated loudly that a Ukrainian attack on Russian territory could force the Kremlin to move many of its most experienced troops away from Ukraine and back to Russia.
Russia has gradually sent relatively large forces to deal with the Ukrainian invasion, Yedstebo says.
Many of the soldiers who will now hunt down the Ukrainians are professional soldiers, according to the lieutenant colonel.
Some of them fought on the front in Ukraine, others were sent from other parts of Russia. Young Russian conscripts are also taking part in the battles.
Zelensky says Russia will send 60,000 to 70,000 troops to Kursk. U.S. intelligence believes Russia needs at least 50,000 troops there if it wants to fully retake Kursk, he writes. CNN.
“I expect Ukraine to stand at Kursk as long as it can benefit from it without risking major losses or losing the initiative,” Yedstebo says.
The road to peace
Without revealing details, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again spoke about the plan to defeat Russia, during the press conference.
Zelensky believes the plan could “pave the way for reliable peace” in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Later this month, Zelensky will travel to the United States to participate in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. There, he will likely present the plan to his American counterpart, Joe Biden.
“I can’t guarantee 100 percent that the plan will stop Russian President Vladimir Putin, no,” Zelensky said when asked by analyst Fareed Zakaria in Foreign Policy magazine. “But it will make Ukraine stronger, and I think it will make Putin consider the possibility of ending the war.”
Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, Zelensky reported that three Red Cross employees were killed in a Russian attack in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Two vehicles on their way to distribute firewood and coal to the local population were hit by Russian shelling.
“It is unacceptable that a humanitarian aid distribution point is being bombed,” says Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The attack on the Red Cross comes as Russia is moving ever closer to the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk province.
After one of the fastest military advances since the start of the war, Russia stands outside the important city.
If Russia captures the city, the supply line to Ukraine's eastern defense line will be split in two.
After that, Ukrainian forces may have to abandon important defensive works such as Chasiv Yar and the front line will be pushed back closer to Kramatorsk.
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