Official says Kyiv is seeking to ‘stretch the enemy’ and that western partners have been ‘indirectly’ involved
by showing up the country’s weaknesses, a top official from Ukraine has said as the assault entered its sixth day.
Its troops have advanced several kilometres into the Kursk region, forcing Russia’s army to rush in reserves and extra equipment – though neither side has given precise details on the forces committed. Russia has evacuated tens of thousands of civilians from the area and Ukraine has also evacuated thousands of people from the Sumy region across the border.
But the official explained there had been little effect so far on fighting in the east. “The situation is basically unchanged. Their pressure in the east continues, they are not pulling back troops from the area,” he said, adding only that “the intensity of Russian attacks has gone down a little bit”.
Asked whether capturing the Kursk nuclear power plant near the border was an aim, the official said: “We will see how the Kursk operation will develop. We absolutely will not cause problems for nuclear security. This we can guarantee.” In May, Joe Biden allowed Kyiv to use US-supplied weapons against targets just across the Russian border to repel Moscow’s push on the Kharkiv region.
The official said he expected Russia would “in the end” manage to stop Ukrainian forces in Kursk and retaliate with a large-scale missile attack that would focus “on decision-making centres” in Ukraine.
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