President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the Ukrainian army has taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of western Russia. Zelensky shared on the social media platform X that Ukrainian soldiers have occupied over 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory. He mentioned, “The Russian border area, directly opposite our country’s Sumy region, has almost been completely liberated from Russian forces.”
Zelensky also noted that the Ukrainian army is continuing its military operations in several parts of the Kursk region. Last week, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, mentioned that Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region is connected to possible peace talks between the two countries. He clarified that Ukraine is not interested in capturing Russian territories. However, in response, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would give an “appropriate response” to Ukraine’s attacks near the border. Putin emphasized that the primary task of the Russian military is to remove Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.
Ukraine began its military operation in the Kursk region on August 6. On August 15, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced that their forces had captured 82 settlements in the region. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that after the attack on Russia’s border region of Kursk, it is impossible to engage in talks with Ukraine. In an interview with local media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “The President has made it clear that after the attacks on the Kursk region, negotiations are not possible.”
Lavrov also dismissed claims that both countries had approached a third party for mediation, calling it a baseless rumor.
He further indicated that the entire process of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is unacceptable to Russia because it aims to promote Zelensky’s formula.