Russia has lost 6,000 soldiers, killed and wounded, in the Kursk region during the month-long Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) operation, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the Contact Group meeting on Ukraine’s defense in Germany.
Zelensky attended the meeting at Ramstein Air Base on Friday, Sept. 6. He also stated that Russia has suffered tens of thousands of additional casualties in other war zones in Ukraine.
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The president explained that due to Ukraine’s actions in Kursk, the threat of a Russian attack on Sumy—like the one that occurred in May during Russia’s assault on the Kharkiv region—has been averted.
“The Russians were preparing a new offensive on Sumy,” Zelensky said. “But we have turned the tide and are pushing the war into Russia through our counteroffensive.”
He added, “As a result of our actions, Putin has revealed his true intentions, and this should be clear to anyone who still believes that he is waging this war to protect his people or security interests.”
While the AFU advances in the Kursk region, Russia’s army continues its offensive in Ukraine. Zelensky reported, “The most combat-capable Russian units are focused on expanding their occupation in the Donetsk region. This is Moscow’s clear priority.”
“Putin wants to occupy Ukraine, not ensure Russia’s security,” he added.
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In a CNN interview on Thursday, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported that Ukrainian forces have managed to halt the Russian advance in the Pokrovsk sector. While under significant pressure for several weeks, the Russian offensive in that area has now stalled.
“Over the last six days, the enemy hasn’t advanced a single meter in the Pokrovsk direction. In other words, our strategy is working,” Syrsky said.
He further revealed that Russia had been forced to transfer tens of thousands of soldiers to the Kursk region, weakening its capabilities on other fronts.
“We’ve taken away their ability to maneuver and to deploy their reinforcement forces from other directions … and this weakening has definitely been felt in other areas,” he said. “We note the amount of artillery shelling as well as the intensity of the offensive has decreased.”
Russia moved 60,000 troops to the Kursk region in response to Ukraine’s offensive, Zelensky earlier told NBC News. He explained that Ukraine’s goal was to draw Russian forces into the area, and this tactic has been partially successful, though Russian troop numbers in the Pokrovsk sector remain unchanged.
On Aug. 27, Syrsky reported that around 30,000 Russian soldiers had already been deployed to the Kursk region, with the number steadily rising.
On Aug. 6, Ukraine launched an unexpected offensive in the less-fortified Kursk region, prompting Moscow to declare a “counter-terrorist operation” in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. Ukrainian officials said the goal was to create a “buffer zone” to prevent Russian shelling and force Moscow into negotiations.
While Ukraine plans to hold the captured territory in Kursk, Zelensky said that annexation is not the objective. US officials estimate that Russia will need 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers to retake the region, according to The New York Times.
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