Zelenskiy States Kyiv Expected Russian Counteroffensive in Kursk – Reuters

By Anastasiia Malenko and Tom Balmforth

KYIV – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had anticipated Russia’s counteroffensive in the Kursk region. This marked his first commentary on the recent military activities following Ukraine’s cross-border incursion over a month ago.

Ukrainian troops successfully seized a small area of western Russian territory in a surprising raid that commenced in early August. The objective of this operation was to reclaim the battlefield initiative from Russia, diverting its forces from the eastern front.

The initial advancement of Ukrainian forces was swift, but progress subsequently stalled. The situation near the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk, which has faced significant Russian offensive operations recently, remains precarious.

"The Russians have begun counter-offensive actions. It is going according to our Ukrainian plan," Zelenskiy remarked during a news conference in Kyiv alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

A Russian commander announced on Wednesday that troops had regained control of approximately 10 settlements in the Kursk region during their counterattack. Independent verification of battlefield claims from both sides has not been possible.

Zelenskiy reiterated previous observations regarding the accumulation of Russian forces along the border with Belarus, Russia’s primary ally in the ongoing war against Ukraine. “We have seen it for a long time – this process is under control,” he stated.

As hostilities continued on multiple fronts, Russian artillery resulted in the deaths of three Ukrainian employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and injuries to two others in a village located in the frontline Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian officials.

Additionally, Russian forces disrupted power and water supply at a key rail hub in northern Ukraine and cut off water to Pokrovsk, leading to significant logistical challenges.

ESCALATING RISK

More than two and a half years post-invasion, the conflict in Ukraine finds itself at a critical turning point, with Moscow frequently attacking Ukrainian infrastructure in an effort to solidify control over the entire eastern Donbas region.

Simultaneously, Ukraine has escalated its drone strikes against Russian targets, including oil refineries and other strategic facilities. Reports from Washington indicate that Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of ballistic missiles, marking a significant escalation in the hostilities. Moscow has cautioned Western nations against permitting deep strikes into Russian territory using Western armaments, promising a response.

In areas of eastern Ukraine, including around Pokrovsk, Russian forces have made advancements. Capturing Pokrovsk could pave the way for Russia to establish new attack routes and complicate Ukrainian supply lines.

The regional governor of Donetsk reported that heavy fighting rendered a water filtration station nonoperational, further cutting off water supplies to Pokrovsk. The governor urged civilians to evacuate, as the prospects for repairs seemed grim.

Pokrovsk, located at a strategic junction of several major roads and a rail line within the Donetsk region, has also suffered a loss of electricity and natural gas supplies essential for cooking and heating, according to local authorities.

Although Russian progress has slowed near the town, forces have continued to push southward, closing in on the nearby town of Ukrainsk, as assessed by open-source intelligence from Ukraine’s Deep State analysts.

The city of Konotop, utilized by Kyiv as a staging area for its earlier incursion, reported severe damage following a Russian drone attack. Local officials noted that at least 14 individuals sustained injuries in the assault, which caused extensive damage to energy infrastructure and disrupted electricity in the area.

Rescue operations are ongoing to restore power to Konotop, which had a pre-war population of approximately 83,000.

Across the nation, Russia engaged in drone attacks with 64 drones, of which the air force successfully intercepted 44 across nine regions. Such drone strikes have become a near-nightly occurrence since the onset of the invasion in February 2022.