Kyiv: Ukraine's offensive in Kursk region aims to create buffer zone for border protection
The Ukrainian army is pushing forward with an offensive in the Kursk region, aiming to create a "buffer zone" to protect Ukrainian border communities from daily hostile shelling. "Establishing a buffer zone in the Kursk region is a step designed to shield our border communities from daily enemy attacks," said Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, in a Telegram post following a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and heads of relevant authorities regarding the situation in the Kursk region.
Klymenko highlighted that Sumy, a neighboring Ukrainian region, suffers from constant Russian attacks, leading to evacuations of residents. He cited over 2,000 strikes on Sumy since the beginning of summer.
Ukraine is also extending humanitarian aid and planning evacuations for Russians in the buffer zone. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk emphasized that Russian civilians within the buffer zone "are under the protection of international humanitarian law, which Ukraine fully complies with," as she noted in a Telegram post.
Plans include delivering humanitarian aid to civilians and opening humanitarian corridors for evacuations towards both Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, international humanitarian organizations will be granted access to these zones "for humanitarian response and monitoring of the humanitarian situation."
Interior Minister Klymenko noted that local residents have been "abandoned by Russia without necessities." He mentioned that military personnel are providing information on local needs for essentials such as drinking water, food, medicine, and hygiene products to coordinate a swift humanitarian response with relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that the meeting discussed access for representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations (UN), and "other impartial international organizations to carry out humanitarian actions."
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi indicated that military command posts might be established in areas of the Kursk region under Ukrainian control if necessary.
President Zelensky mentioned in his Telegram post that the meeting addressed the situation in the Kursk region, focusing on "security, humanitarian aid, and the establishment of military command posts if needed." He emphasized that Ukraine is defending itself and its people in border communities while adhering to international conventions and humanitarian law.
The Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region began on August 6, with ongoing battles in the Korenevo, Sudzha, and Belov districts. Acting Governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, acknowledged on August 12 that Ukrainian forces control 28 settlements in the region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces claim to have seized control of 74 localities and over 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, leading to the displacement of more than 120,000 local residents.
The Ukrainian government insists it has no intention to annex foreign territories, stating that the military operation will cease once Russia agrees to a fair peace deal, as underscored by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.