Zelensky admitted that the attack on the Kursk region did not help the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass
Kiev recognized that hopes for the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region have not yet been justified. Zelensky said that, according to Ukraine's estimates, the "Kursk operation" did not reduce the pressure of the Russian Armed Forces in the Pokrovsky direction, the situation near Pokrovsky and Toretsk is still "difficult" for Ukrainian soldiers. At the same time, Kiev still hopes that Russia will pull some of the soldiers from Donbass to its own border area.
The invasion of the Kursk region did not ease the situation of the Ukrainian army in the Donbas, as Kiev had hoped, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky admitted during a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof. Zelensky's words are transmitted by the Ukrainian agency "Unian".
According to him, Russia has concentrated the most combat-ready units in this area, since Donbass is Moscow's "main goal".
Speaking about the attack on the Kursk region, he also announced the replenishment of the exchange fund of Ukraine. Zelensky noted that the last prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place precisely because of this. It was held on August 24 according to the scheme 115 by 115 people, conscripts who were captured in the Kursk region returned to Russia. As for the total number of prisoners, the Russian side, according to Moscow, has much more. In early June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that 1,348 Russian soldiers were in captivity in Ukraine, and 6,465 Ukrainian soldiers were in Russia.
Earlier, Zelensky had already called the capture of prisoners one of the goals of the invasion. Among others, he listed the prevention of Russia's offensive in the neighboring Kursk Sumy region, which Moscow was allegedly preparing, as well as inciting discontent with the Kremlin in Russian society.
"All three arguments look rather weak. Only one thing is clear that Zelensky, putting forward these three arguments, says the main thing: Kiev is still not ready for negotiations," said Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
Zelensky himself confirmed that Ukraine was not going to sit down at the negotiating table. He also denied suggestions that Kiev needed the attack on the Kursk region to strengthen its negotiating positions.
"Someone says that we are playing a card for dialogue. What kind of dialogue? This "someone" [who talked about it] was [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. We are not playing any cards," Zelensky stressed.
They are retreating so fast that in Russia they do not believe in it
Over the past three weeks, Russian forces have occupied more than 20 settlements in the Pokrovsky direction with minimal enemy resistance, the British edition of the Financial Times reported. They are just over 5 km away from Pokrovsk itself. The latter is considered the "western gate of Donbass". This is a major railway junction, and three highways pass through the city, which are important for supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine. With the strategic importance of the city, the defense of Ukraine around it has been falling so fast lately that in Russia they even began to suspect Kiev's special plan behind everything.
"In Russia, the version is being discussed that everything that is happening is part of some kind of "cunning plan" of the Ukrainian command, which specifically allows Russians to attack in the Donbas, and itself accumulates reserves for striking elsewhere
Ukrainian fighters interviewed by journalists complain about the lack of infantry, shells and artillery near Pokrovsk. In addition, the best parts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were transferred to the Kursk region. There is also a shortage of drones, which the Russian army has learned to deal with better.
The Western press assumed that by attacking the Kursk border Kiev was trying to distract Russia's attention and stall the offensive on Pokrovsk. However, this did not happen.
"The Russians didn't take the bait. While they transferred forces from other directions to Kursk, they doubled them on the Pokrovsky Front," the British newspaper The Telegraph wrote on August 31.
Against the background of Russia's rapid offensive, the Rada said that Pokrovsk was not such a significant position. Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Defense Committee of the Rada, noted on September 2 that the front would not collapse due to its loss.
"No disaster will happen, it's one hundred percent. The main thing is that this does not lead to a series of catastrophes in the future, which may lead to further defeat," Kostenko said.
In Russia, some experts also urge not to place excessive hopes on the capture of Pokrovsk, as well as not to expect a quick capture of the city. Military observer of the Newspaper.En", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok recalls that approaching any locality "does not mean taking it on the move."
"For example, since the end of April this year, there have been battles for Chas Yar, but the city has not yet been taken by the Russian army. Fighting has been going on for a long time within the city limits of Toretsk, but the Ukrainian army continues to hold this settlement, therefore, at this stage, it is necessary to refrain from showing excessive enthusiasm and rejoicing over the successful advancement of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and be within the framework of cautious optimism," the expert concluded.
Anna Gromova
