Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the creation of a “buffer zone” was one of the strategies behind his military’s invasion of the Russian province of Kursk.
In a late-night video update he posted online, Zelensky outlined the goals of the military operation that Ukraine launched in a surprise counterattack two weeks ago, noting that his forces had achieved “good and much-needed results.”
“All this is more than just defense for Ukraine; it is now our main task in defense operations as a whole: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and to conduct maximum counteroffensives,” Zelensky said. “This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory.”
His remarks came a day after Zelensky said his military’s presence in Ukraine was “growing stronger.”
“Now we are strengthening our positions,” said the Ukrainian president.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykolaiv Oleshcuk also said in a social media post on Sunday that the air force had carried out “precise airstrikes” and said in a video that it had destroyed a second bridge in the Kursk region.
While Zelensky and his military leaders continue to exude confidence about their successes on Russian territory, White House national security adviser John Kirby said Thursday that the impact of Ukraine’s efforts is still unknown. He also noted that Ukraine certainly prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to order the Russian military to move its troops out of Ukraine and back to the Kursk region.
“It’s an active dynamic situation and we’re still monitoring it,” Kirby said. “But he has diverted some resources to Kursk. It’s not entirely clear what the intent or impact of that will actually be.”
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Zelensky also reiterated on Sunday the need for increased and faster deliveries from his strongest allies, citing in particular the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
“There is no vacation in war,” he said.
Ukraine’s offensive to capture parts of Kursk is the first, albeit small, successful operation by its military on Russian territory since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
