Syrskyi names objectives of Ukraine's operation in Kursk region
Photo: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine aimed to prevent a new Russian offensive through its operation in the Kursk region. These actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine also helped protect the population of the Sumy region, states Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with CNN.
According to the general, the main objectives of the operation in the Kursk region are as follows:
- Prevent Russia from using the Kursk region as a platform for a new offensive;
- Divert Russian forces from other directions;
- Create a security zone and prevent the shelling of civilian targets;
- Capture enemy soldiers;
- Boost the morale of Ukrainian troops and the nation as a whole.
Syrskyi also noted that the operation forced the Russians to deploy tens of thousands of their troops to the Kursk region, including soldiers from Russia's elite airborne units.
Operation in the Kursk region
Ukraine’s operation in the Kursk region has been ongoing for nearly a month. Ukrainian forces have taken control of over 1,000 square kilometers of enemy territory.
This compelled the Russians to transfer their soldiers from Ukraine to defend the Kursk region. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the enemy has deployed a total of 60,000 troops there.
The head of state also recently noted that Ukraine aimed to prevent a potential future Russian offensive on the Sumy region through this operation, making it a preemptive strike.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukrainian defenders have "achieved a lot" during the fighting in the Kursk region. However, predicting the further course of events remains difficult.
