Ukrainian 15 days ago, the army launched a surprise attack in the region of the city of Kursk Russia during which it took control of a large territory in the largest cross-border operation on Russian territory since World War II.
This surprised the vast majority of military strategists, primarily due to the success of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, which, although slow, has been going on successfully for two and a half years despite heavy casualties. Few people hoped that Ukraine would withdraw the most capable units from the parts of the front that it was losing and send them to attack Russia.
Although the Ukrainian authorities brag about the huge number of Russian soldiers who surrender when occupying the territory of Ukraine, mockingly calling them 'cannon fodder', Russia seemed to have enough military reserves to afford this 'pleasure'. The progress of the Russian army in the last year has been slow but constant.
In the light of this, the surprising move of Ukraine, which withdrew its elite military units from the defense of two of its most threatened directions, Vovchansk and Pokrovsk, and decided to direct them towards the invasion of the Russian border area. The die is cast. Time will tell who will be the winner.
Zelenskiy's call to Western partners to speed up deliveries of ammunition and weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that his country's attack on Russia's Kursk region showed that the Kremlin's threats of retaliation were a bluff, and called on Kiev's allies to reduce the restrictions they have set on Ukraine's use of foreign weapons.
Zelensky added that the Ukrainian military now controls more than 1250 square kilometers and 92 settlements in the Kursk region, while Russia said Ukraine had hit a third bridge in the region, complicating Russia's efforts to repel the Ukrainian attack.
Photo: AP Photo/Evgeniy MaloletkaKursk region
Blitzkrieg of Ukraine on the territory of Kursk
Ukraine launched a surprise attack on the Russian region on August 6, the largest offensive against Russia since World War II. Kiev says the aim of its military operation is to establish a buffer zone and wear out the Russian military machine.
Addressing a gathering of Ukrainian diplomats, Zelensky singled out allies who have supplied Kiev with long-range weapons, but said Kiev must not use them deep inside Russian territory for fear of crossing "red lines" set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, threatened that this Ukrainian trip will cost Zelensky and the military leadership of Ukraine dearly.
"Ukrainian forces must be driven out of the Kursk region, and Russia will respond with dignity to the attacks," Putin said.
The Ministry of Defense began the deployment of additional military forces in Kursk and organized the delivery of equipment for the formation of reserve troops in that region.
Photo: AP/LibkosUkrainian offensive
Russian advance in the direction of Pokrovsk
According to the military capabilities, the advance of the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region has slowed down in the last two days, while the Russian advance in Ukraine is constantly moving in the direction of the city of Pokrovsk.
That's why the officials of this Ukrainian city called on the residents to speed up the evacuation in the east of the country as the Russian army is fast approaching one of the key objectives set by Moscow in its war.
Military authorities in Pokrovsk, which before the war had a population of more than 60.000, said Russian soldiers were advancing at a rapid pace, leaving less and less time for civilians to pack up and evacuate to safer areas.
Although the Ukrainian army tried to divert the Kremlin's military efforts from the front line in Ukraine by invading the territories of the Russian border region of Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced yesterday that Pokrovsk and some other cities in Donetsk are under the strongest attacks.
An attempt to change the dynamics of the war
With the attack on Kursk, Ukraine is trying to change the dynamics of the two-and-a-half-year conflict and is confident that it has enough resources to do so, while Russia believes it can contain the incursion without having to ease operations in Donetsk.
The slow advance of Russian troops across Donetsk this year has been costly in terms of losses, but the territorial gains are increasing. Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine's main defense strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. The fall of that city to the Russians would threaten Ukraine's defense capabilities and supply routes, bringing Moscow closer to its goal of capturing all of Donetsk.
Residents of Pokrovsk have been offered shelter in western Ukraine, where they will be accommodated in dormitories and houses prepared for them.
"As the front line approaches Pokrovsk, the need to move to a safer place becomes more urgent," the local government announced.
Photo: Governor of Kursk region telegram channel via APThe consequences of fierce fighting
Why did Ukraine attack Russia despite losing part of its territory?
In the context of Ukraine's sudden and successful attack on the border region of Kursk, analysts see in the "fortification of the market" before the eventual peace negotiations, analysts see a striving for a better position.
Although an armistice is not in sight at all, rumors about negotiations to end the war are getting louder.
This is supported by the latest call of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said that "Russia and Ukraine should negotiate an end to the conflict in order to avoid the spread of the war to Belarus."
"We don't want an escalation and we don't want a war against the whole of NATO." We don't want that," he said.
If Ukraine "provokes" Minsk, Lukashenko warned that he "will have no choice", and at the same time called on the warring parties to negotiate.
"Let's sit down at the negotiating table and end this fight." Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need that. They (the West) need that," he concluded.
Lukashenko made claims that the West hopes the situation in Kursk, which Ukrainian troops have invaded, will spur mobilization in Belarus and Russia and "shake society from within," Lukashenko said.
