Russian Forces Anticipate 'Heavy Combat' - Cohen

Ukraine intends to hold onto the territories of the Kursk region that came under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces during military operations that began in early August for some time. This was announced by David Cohen, the Deputy Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, at the IntelSummit 24 security conference.

While Kyiv authorities state that they do not intend to annex the occupied Russian territories, Ukrainian forces are building defensive lines and seem poised to retain some of these areas 'for some time,' Reuters quotes Cohen's remarks.

According to Cohen, Russian President Vladimir Putin will launch a counteroffensive to reclaim territories in the Kursk region, but Russian forces are expected to face 'heavy combat.' Additionally, Cohen noted that Putin will have to 'deal with the reactions within his own society' due to the loss of Russian territory.

He emphasized that the significance of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, which led to a portion of the Kursk region coming under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces, still needs to be assessed.