Ukrainian Military Chief praises operation in Russia's Kursk region for bolstering defense in Donbas
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has praised a Ukrainian military operation in Russia's Kursk region as "incredible" and "brilliant." The operation, he claims, was crucial to protecting key areas in the Donbas, including Pokrovsk, which is currently facing the presence of approximately 110,000 Russian troops. Syrskyi dismissed the notion that the focus should have been on bolstering Ukrainian front-line units in the Donetsk region instead. In an interview with TSN, he explained that the deployment of additional brigades in Pokrovsk or Toretsk would not have significantly altered the situation and, in his words, would have "essentially been erased".
"The enemy effectively halted offensive actions in most directions, except Pokrovsk. Our troops were then able to take a breather, as active operations across ten areas paused when the enemy shifted focus to the Kursk direction," Syrskyi stated.
He called the Kursk operation "incredible" and "brilliant." "You remember the difficult situation back then, the moral atmosphere. The enemy was advancing. Our troops' morale was, so to speak, quite low almost everywhere. We weren't attacking and thought we could only defend. Then, we managed to execute that brilliant offensive operation," he recounted. He further explained that the events in Kursk had a direct impact on the situation in the East: "This offensive essentially saved Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk, Lyman, and many other directions." However, Syrskyi acknowledged the situation in Pokrovsk as "threatening." He noted that around 110,000 Russian troops and powerful Russian army formations are concentrated near the city. "We're managing to hold the situation...The enemy has changed tactics, changed troop numbers, and deployed armored equipment. We're holding positions, but yes, the situation there is indeed challenging. Still, we're taking all measures to keep the city under control. The enemy is suffering huge losses in Pokrovsk, with the greatest number of attacks occurring there daily," the commander-in-chief concluded.
Reports also indicate that Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezuhla believes the Kursk operation helped Syrskyi secure his position, despite the heavy losses suffered by Ukrainian troops for which no one has been held accountable.