Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia September 5, 2024. Photo: Vyacheslav Viktorov/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region did not halt the Russian advance in Donbas but rather weakened Ukraine’s defenses along the frontline, bolstering Moscow’s forces reported Reuters.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated that Russian troops were pushing Ukrainian soldiers out of the Kursk region, where they had launched the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II on August 6.
Putin noted that by transferring large numbers of well-trained Ukrainian units to the Russian border, Kyiv weakened its own defenses, enabling Russia to accelerate its advance in eastern Ukraine.
“The enemy’s goal was to make us nervous, transfer troops, and halt our offensive in key areas, primarily in Donbas. Did it work? No,” Putin said. “By moving these well-trained units to the border, they weakened themselves, and our troops increased the pace of their operations.”
He added that the situation had stabilized, and Russia was beginning to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk. Russia’s primary objective, he reiterated, remains the full capture of Donbas, with Russian forces making faster territorial gains in eastern Ukraine and recruitment rates rising.
Despite the embarrassment caused by the Kursk attack, Russian officials are now framing it as one of Kyiv’s biggest tactical errors, claiming it tied down Ukrainian forces with little strategic gain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the attack as an attempt to bring the war into Russia, forcing Putin to negotiate and create a buffer zone to protect Ukraine’s Sumy region from further Russian strikes.
Ukraine’s top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Kursk incursion aimed to divert Russian forces away from other critical areas, particularly near Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
