Ukraine is aiming to establish a “buffer zone” on Russian soil and inflict military and economic damage through its incursion into Kursk Region, Vladimir Zelensky has said.
In a video statement on Sunday, Zelensky hailed the Ukrainian units directly engaged with Russian forces. The operation in Kursk Region has allowed Kiev to bolster its “exchange fund,” he argued, referring to Russian prisoners of war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated last month that the number of POWs held by both sides is five to one in Russia’s favor. Ukraine claims to have taken dozens of Russian border guards prisoner during the first phase of its Kursk offensive.
Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov said last Friday that Kiev will continue to prioritize the return of those “who defended Azovstal” in future prisoner exchanges. He was referring to members of the infamous neo-Nazi Azov regiment embedded in the Ukrainian army. Dozens were captured in May 2022 in the city of Mariupol, where they used a Soviet steel mill as a fortified base.
Earlier in the week, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk described the seizure of Russian border areas as “creating a zone of security on Russian territory.” Civilians under Kiev’s control will be offered evacuation, she said. She later indicated that the only option would be to go to Ukrainian territory, and accused Moscow of failing to ask Kiev to organize safe passage in the other direction.
Kiev launched its incursion into Russia almost two weeks ago, reportedly deploying over 10,000 troops armed with Western-supplied heavy weapons for the operation. Ukrainian officials claim the incursion will bring a “just peace” in the conflict closer.
Putin has ruled out peace talks with Kiev following the incursion, citing the attacks on civilians by Ukrainian troops. Kiev’s expectations that the cross-border action would alleviate Russian pressure on the front line in the east has apparently not materialized. The Russian military regularly reports progress on the front lines in Donbass, as Ukrainian forces reportedly suffer from a lack of weapons and reserves.