The Kursk operation changed the narrative that Ukraine is unable to withstand the military power of Russia.
Points of attention
- In American circles, there are questions about the future expansion of the buffer zone and the maintenance of the territory captured by Ukraine.
- The operation in Kurshchyna helped Ukraine to increase the exchange fund of Russian prisoners of war.
- President Zelenskyi emphasizes the achievements of the operation, including stopping the Russian operation in the north and preventing the occupation of the Sumy region.
- Ukraine is working to achieve all the goals set during the Kurshchyna operation within the framework of the strategic military plan.
What goals has Ukraine partially achieved in Kurshchyna
As the publication notes, although Zelenskyi stated that the purpose of the operation in Kursk is partly to create a "buffer zone", questions remain in the Pentagon — whether Ukraine plans to expand this zone and how exactly.
In addition, American officials are not sure whether Ukraine will be able to keep the captured territory.
According to American officials, the Ukrainian goal in Kursk has three components:
Force Russia to transfer troops from the eastern regions of Ukraine
To undermine the rhetoric about the defeat of Ukraine on the battlefield
Improve negotiating positions before possible peace agreements.
Currently, all three goals have been partially achieved, the publication reports.
In addition, one of the key achievements of the Kursk operation is the increase in the number of Russian prisoners of war that can be exchanged.
Russia still holds significantly more prisoners than Ukraine, but Kiev's capture of hundreds of Russian troops in Kursk has changed the situation in favor of parity, the WSJ writes.
The publication also notes that, according to a high-ranking representative of Ukrainian intelligence at a meeting with the relatives of the prisoners, the chances of an exchange involving Azov fighters have increased significantly.
Zelenskyi on the objectives of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kurshchyna
The operation is complicated. The important thing is that she follows our plan. There are important results of this operation. I can't talk about everything, said the head of state.
The President emphasized that the successful military operations in Kurshchyna allowed Ukraine to replenish the exchange fund.
First of all, there is an exchange fund, it is replenished, this is a positive thing. The second is stopping the Russian operation in the north, a preventive strike. Our operation fulfilled this task, Zelensky emphasized.
The Ukrainian leader also emphasized that the offensive of the Armed Forces in Kurshchyna foiled the plans of the Russian invaders to invade the territory of the Sumy region.
We prevented the encirclement of part of the Sumy region and the desire to occupy Sumy. Someone said that we play it as a dialogue card. We are not playing any card, the president emphasized.
Zelenskyi also noted that all goals set by Ukraine will be achieved.
As for all the objectives of the operation, I believe that they will all be achieved. There are more of them than I publicly named, — added the head of state.
