Ukrainian assault on Russia’s Kursk region game changer, says EU foreign policy chief

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Ukraine’s ongoing attack on Russia’s Kursk region is a game changer but air-defense remains crucial for Kyiv, EU foreign policy chief said on Friday.

“As I said many times before, Ukraine's counter offensive operation in Kursk has dealt a blow to Putin's narrative. Ukraine has shown a strategic audacity and has made Putin's narrative about the special operation completely futile,” Josep Borrell said at a news conference in Brussels following the EU defense ministers’ informal meeting.

However, Borrell warned that the situation remains dire in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Russia continues to advance despite heavy losses.

“Ukraine can be very successful in the battlefield if we truly do whatever it takes, as we like to say, whatever it takes,” Borrell said.

About Russian aerial attacks this week, Borrell said they aim to destroy Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

“We saw massive Russian attack on Monday, Aug. 26 when 300 missiles and drones in a single day hit Ukrainian cities, targeting critical energy infrastructure...Because Russia wants to put the whole Ukraine in the darkness and in the cold,” he said.

Borrell also argued that Russia circumvents the sanctions and continues to import goods from the West through the companies in the third countries.

More effective measures are required to prevent this situation, he added.