By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged Monday the massive scale of his country’s incursion into Russian territory, the first such invasion by a foreign nation since World War Two.
In a video report, Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told the president, “As of now, nearly 1,000 square kilometers of Russian Federation territory are under our control” and that offensive operations are continuing in the Kursk region.
The Ukrainian attacks led to frustration in Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin abruptly interrupting an acting regional governor who explained that Ukraine’s military captured 28 towns and villages in Russia’s Kursk border region.
Alexey Smirnov said the offensive prompted a sixth of its population to flee and added that Ukrainian forces had penetrated at least 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into the region.
He added they controlled a border area 25 miles (40 kilometers) wide before Putin cut him off at a televised meeting with defense officials on Monday.
A clearly agitated Putin said this was a matter for the military to assess.
SURPRISE OFFENSIVE
“You can tell us about the socio-economic situation and about helping people,” Putin told Smirnov, who then listed assistance provided to “more than 120,000 residents” he said had left their homes in the region, with about 60,000 more waiting to be evacuated.
Ukrainian troops launched their surprise attack last Tuesday, and the offensive has been reported to have boosted morale on the Ukrainian side.
However, analysts warn that the strategy will bring fresh danger to Ukraine.
Western military sources argue there is a risk that this incursion will so anger Moscow that it could redouble its attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population and infrastructure.
Already, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed and injured on both sides since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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