It is the first time that the president has expressed in clear words what is the goal of Ukraine’s foray into the Russian province of Kursk.
Earlier, Zelenskyj said that the military operation aims to protect the population of Sumy, on the Ukrainian side of the border, from persistent Russian attacks.
Without much resistance
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers entered Kursk almost two weeks ago, without meeting much Russian resistance.
– This is now our primary task in overall defense operations: To destroy as much as possible of the Russian war potential and carry out maximum actions with a view to counter-offensive. This involves creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region, Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
At the same time, President Zelenskyy repeated the prayer for faster deliveries of important equipment from Great Britain, France and especially the United States.
– 80 settlements
Since the offensive began on August 6, the Ukrainians have captured more than 80 Russian settlements and taken control of an area of 1,150 square kilometers, according to Ukrainian authorities.
It is the largest invasion of Russia since World War II. Over the weekend, the Ukrainians destroyed an important bridge in Kursk and damaged another bridge nearby.
Bridges are destroyed to prevent Russia from bringing in new forces, and to block the Russian supply routes to the soldiers defending the area.
The authorities in Moscow state that the destruction of one of the bridges has prevented evacuation from the area.
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2024-08-20 16:41:00