Russia Deploys 60,000 Troops to Kursk, Zelensky Says

The operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian territory in the Kursk region has been ongoing for exactly one month. Russian Telegram channels reported the commencement of this operation on August 6.

Since the start of the operations in Kurshchyna, Russia has transferred 60,000 troops from Ukrainian territories to Kursk. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with BBC News on Tuesday, September 3. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that one of the goals of the operation was to force Moscow to withdraw its troops from the front line that stretches 600 miles across Ukraine, particularly from the eastern part of the country. Moreover, no significant reduction of troops has been observed in the Pokrovsk direction.

Zelensky noted that Kyiv plans to maintain control over the occupied Russian territories indefinitely, attempting to compel Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate. “We do not need their land. We do not intend to impose our Ukrainian way of life there,” the president stated.

Zelensky explained that the incursion into Kurshchyna on August 6 was a “preventive strike” aimed at preventing the Russians from creating a buffer zone along the border with Ukraine. He added that he could not discuss whether Ukraine intends to attempt to reclaim Russian territory again. It should be recalled that Volodymyr Zelensky had stated that the Kursk region of Russia is part of Ukraine's victory plan.

Overall, this document includes four directions: “The Plan for Ukraine's Victory. It may seem ambitious to some, but the program is very important for us. I can say, but I am not sure that everything is clear. One of the directions, of which part has already been accomplished, is Kurshchyna. The second direction is Ukraine's strategic position in the global security infrastructure. The third direction is a powerful package to compel the Russian Federation to end the war through diplomatic means. The fourth direction is economic.”

Zelensky also announced that this plan is ready.