The USA also confirms Russia’s problems in the Kursk border region. The Ukrainian offensive is putting Kremlin chief Putin under further pressure.
Washington DC – An end to Ukrainian offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk does not seem to be in sight. The aim of Ukraine, according to head of state Volodymyr Selenskyj: to establish a buffer zone on the border to prevent constant Russian attacks. Russia is currently having difficulty fending off the Ukrainian attack.
Pentagon confirms Russian problems: “Russia is struggling”
The US Department of Defense also believes that Moscow is struggling to respond to the Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kursk. There are signs that Moscow is moving a small number of units into the area, said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder in Washington. “In general, however, I would say that Russia is really having a hard time responding.” Ukraine has “clearly put its opponent under pressure,” stressed Ryder. Ukrainian forces are therefore continuing to advance into the area.
When asked whether Washington publicly supported the Ukrainians’ move, Ryder did not answer directly, but referred to President Zelensky. He said that the aim was to create a buffer zone, the US spokesman explained. Talks with Kiev are continuing to learn more about the exact goals. However, like a Pentagon spokeswoman the day before, Ryder stressed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kursk does not change the US’s support for Kiev.
Selenskyj praises army for Kursk offensive: Putin visits “bloodhound” Kadyrov
Zelensky praised the military in his daily video address, which he gave this time in the central Ukrainian industrial city of Kropyvnytskyi. The situation in eastern Ukraine, especially in the area around the cities of Pokrovsk and Toretsk, is difficult, the president admitted. But: “The defenders are doing everything to destroy the occupiers,” he said, without going into further details.
Instead, he highlighted the progress in Kursk, where the Ukrainian army continues to gain ground. Ukraine is achieving its goals, and the priority is to capture Russian soldiers in order to later exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners, stressed the Ukrainian head of state.
When it comes to repelling the Ukrainian attack, Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin is relying primarily on the Chechen troops of Ramzan Kadyrov. During a trip to Chechnya, Putin and the regional ruler Kadyrov visited, among other things, a center for training special forces, where Russian soldiers are now being trained for war. Chechen soldiers are on the front line in Kursk.
However, a Ukrainian MP suspects that Kadyrov is betraying Putin. (bb/dpa)
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