Zelensky Says the Ukrainian Army's Offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast Continues

On August 13, news from Kyiv stated that Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the same day that the Ukrainian army's offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast is still ongoing.

On that day, Zelensky had a video call with the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhiy Shaptala. Shaptala said that the Ukrainian army advanced 1 to 3 kilometers in the past 24 hours and controlled 40 square kilometers of land in the Kursk region. As of the 12th, the Ukrainian army has controlled about 1,000 square kilometers of territory and 74 settlements in the Kursk Oblast.

Zelensky later posted on social media that despite the fierce and difficult battle, the Ukrainian army continues to advance in the Kursk region, and Ukraine's "bargaining chips" in negotiations have increased. Ukraine has carried out inspection and stabilization measures in the controlled settlements, and the work of formulating humanitarian solutions for the controlled areas continues, and preparations for the next steps are also underway.

In response to this situation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the situation on Russia's southern border on August 12 that the Ukrainian side's attacks on Russia's Kursk Oblast and other places will surely receive a response from the Russian side, and all of Russia's goals will be achieved. The Russian Ministry of Defense released a battle report on the Kursk Oblast on the 13th, stating that the Russian army has contained the advance of the Ukrainian army's mobile groups in many places, and struck the personnel and equipment of several Ukrainian brigades. As of now, in the battles in the Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian army has suffered more than 2,000 casualties and a large amount of equipment has been destroyed. The battle report also stated that in other directions, the Russian army has also achieved several results in the past 24 hours.