In Putin's viewpoint, the Ukrainian advance in Kursk won't halt the Russian offensive operations.
During his visit to Siberia's Kisil city at the commencement of the new academic year, Putin discussed Ukraine's advance into Russia's Kursk region: "Their intent was to halt our offensive operations in crucial areas of Donbass. However, the outcome is evident. The adversary has failed to accomplish its primary objective of halting our offensive in Donbass."
Putin recognized the hardships endured by Russians, notably in Kursk. "Obviously, we need to tackle these bandits who've infiltrated Russia and aim to disrupt stability in border regions," he stated.
Since August 6, Ukraine's unexpected advance into Kursk's western Russian territory has led to the displacement of approximately 130,000 people. As per Kyiv, one of Kursk's objectives was to tie down the Russian military, forcing them to redeploy troops from eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian troops now control sections of the border region, but the Russian army persists in its aggressive campaign in Ukraine.
On the evening of Sunday, President Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had been assaulted with a total of 35 rockets and 23 drones. Twenty-two rockets and twenty drones were annihilated in the attack. Loud blasts were reported in Kyiv, the capital, according to AFP correspondents. Three individuals were injured, and a significant Muslim cultural center was severely damaged, as per the city administration.
In Sumy, a northern Ukrainian city, a children's social center and an orphanage were hit by a Russian rocket, injuring 13 individuals, among whom were four minors, as reported by Sumy Mayor Oleksandr Lysenko on Telegram. A 65-year-old woman was killed in the Charkiv region.
On the Russian side, Belgorod's border region governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported a Ukrainian nighttime air raid. One individual was wounded, and a business and infrastructure facility in Belgorod city suffered damage.
Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asserted Poland's right to shoot down potentially threatening rockets and drones over Ukrainian territory.
"Should hostile projectiles be heading towards Polish airspace, it is lawful self-defense to intercept them," Sikorski told the "Financial Times." Last week, Polish airspace was breached, presumably by a drone, during ongoing Russian aerial assaults in Ukraine. This wasn't the first such incidence.
A NATO representative, commenting on Sikorski's words, stressed NATO's duty to "thwart further Russian war escalation." NATO is "not a combatant in the conflict" and "will not become a combatant in the conflict." NATO acknowledges each ally's right to defend its own airspace, "but what individual allies choose to do to aid Ukraine might also impact NATO as a collective," the NATO representative added.
The Ukrainian invasion of Kursk's western territory resulted in the deployment of Russian aircraft to reinforce their positions. Despite losing significant ground in Donbass, Ukrainian forces continue to control sections of the border region, attracting the attention of Russian aircraft.
The Russian military has placed a strong emphasis on securing air superiority over potential aggressors, which is why aircraft play a crucial role in their defensive strategy.
