'Victories love silence': Ukraine's army chief on strategic impact of Kursk operation
Photo: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi (Getty Images)
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commented on the results of a large-scale operation in Russia’s Kursk region, which took place in the summer of 2024, according to The Washington Post.
According to him, the main goal — to divert Russian troops and equipment — was achieved, which helped protect Ukrainian territories from a large-scale offensive.
"We initially planned more raid-like actions, but then I abandoned this idea because I understood that we needed this territory," Syrskyi said in an interview.
He added that the territory of the Kursk region has long been needed by Ukraine and became a key bridgehead for further actions.
The operation was prepared in the strictest secrecy: even the closest partners, including the United States, were not informed.
Syrskyi emphasized that this was a lesson after the failed counteroffensive of 2023.
"Victories love silence. They are born in silence and prepared in silence. When an information campaign is created or conducted and everyone is shouting, 'Give me this, give me that,' then, of course, the enemy also knows and is also preparing," the Commander-in-Chief explained.
The invasion became the first case since World War II when foreign troops occupied part of Russian territory.
Ukrainian forces captured over 1,000 prisoners, and Moscow was forced to redeploy troops from other directions.
Shocking operation for the Russian Federation
The commander of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, Dmytro Voloshyn, initially considered the order for the operation crazy, but later saw its scale and potential for success.
Currently, Ukrainian troops hold only a few dozen square kilometers in the Kursk region that remained after the operation — a bridgehead of strategic importance.
This success significantly influenced the morale of Ukrainians and the support from Western countries, which had previously hesitated in supplying weapons.
An important factor was the participation of North Korean military personnel, who arrived in Kursk to assist the Russians.
"Without the Koreans, they would not have had any success at all," Syrskyi stressed.
The operation became a symbol of the changes in the war's course and demonstrated that Ukraine is capable of conducting successful offensive actions even on enemy territory.
Kursk operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In the summer of 2024, after the start of the operation, the Defense Forces took control of about a hundred settlements in the Kursk region. As a result of Russian offensive actions, Ukrainian forces lost part of the territories, but active hostilities continue.
Moscow also involved North Korea in combat operations in the Kursk region. The Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to capture two North Korean soldiers.
Western media reported that after heavy losses, DPRK troops were withdrawn from the front line. However, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, denied this information.
