Ukrainian president says goal of Kursk incursion 'establishment of buffer zone'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the goal of the incursion into Russia's Kursk region was to create a "buffer zone," an area serving to separate Ukraine from Russia and delay Moscow's military actions.

In an interview, released late Sunday on his official Telegram account, Zelenskyy also said: "I just received a report from Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrskyi regarding the situation in the east of Ukraine, the operation in the Kursk region, the 'exchange fund,' and the provision of our brigades – our reserves – with ammunition and weapons."

He also urged "faster delivery of supplies" from partners, stressing: "We strongly ask for this."

"There are no vacations in war. Decisions are needed, as is timely logistics for the announced aid packages. I especially address this to the US, the UK, and France," he said.

Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk region began on the night of Aug. 5-6 when Ukrainian forces entered near the town of Sudzha. On Aug. 12, Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, but did not elaborate on its objectives.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that around 9,500 people had been evacuated from the combat zone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the incursion as a "terrorist attack."

Independent verification of claims from both sides remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict.