- President Zelenskyy designates objective for assault
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has outlined a specific objective for his troops' progress in the Russian region of Kursk for the first time. He stated, "Establishing a barrier zone on the aggressor's land," during his evening address via video. Due to the intense fighting in this area and in eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy appealed to Western allies for prompt delivery of weapons and ammunition. "War knows no vacations," he added, specifically addressing the United States, UK, and France.
While Ukrainian troops are doing "outstanding work," Zelenskyy said, "we must accelerate our allies' deliveries; we request that." Ukraine relies heavily on the prompt arrival of promised aid packages.
Ukrainians in the East Under Strain
Ukrainian units seem to be under significant pressure, particularly in the Donbass region. They were forced to retreat from certain areas. Zelenskyy highlighted that the area around Torez is "not merely defense for Ukraine, it is now the primary focus of our defense efforts in total, to minimize Russia's potential for conflict as much as possible and to execute as much counter-attack work as possible."
The Ukrainian military acknowledged difficulties around Pokrovsk. "We can retreat, surrender a small settlement, or lose a small battle," said Serhiy Zehorovsky, a commander of the brigade stationed there, on TV. "But the main aim is to win the war."
Currently, Russian soldiers are advancing near Mykolaivka to disrupt the supply route between Pokrovsk and Karlivka. "Here they are attempting to achieve something," Zehorovsky said. However, at this specific point, the Russian military can anticipate "something unexpected." The commander did not provide further details.
Situation Report from the General Staff in Kyiv
Torez and Pokrovsk have been focal points of conflict for weeks. The Ukrainian General Staff also reported intense fighting around these locations. A total of 24 Russian assaults were recorded near Pokrovsk during the day, some with the aid of combat aircraft. A total of 15 Russian attacks were repelled near Torez. These statistics could not be independently confirmed.
The Ukrainian General Staff in Kyiv did not make any statements regarding the conflict in the Russian region of Kursk. The situation report only mentions that Russian artillery and combat aircraft attacked Ukrainian positions near Sumy in the east of the nation. Sumy is considered the logistical center for Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.
"Forbes": Significant Material Losses in Kursk
The Ukrainian military has endured unusually high losses of valuable equipment in its advance in Kursk, according to the business magazine "Forbes." The losses of tanks, armored vehicles, and heavy weapons are substantial and bear no relation to similar losses on the Russian side.
During the advance across open terrain, the vehicles were exposed to air and artillery attacks, resulting in losses "twice as high as usual," the magazine cited analysts. However, should Ukraine manage to maintain control over the captured territory, these losses would be considered justified. Zelenskyy has repeatedly criticized Russian missile and artillery attacks from the Kursk region against targets in eastern Ukraine.
Lukashenko Speaks of Troop Buildup at the Border
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is said to have deployed larger military formations to the border with Ukraine. He attributed the presence of significant troop concentrations on the Ukrainian side as the reason, claiming in an interview with Russian TV channel "Rossija" that Kyiv had stationed up to 120,000 soldiers there. "And in light of this aggressive policy, we have positioned our military along the entire border, as would be the case in a state of war," he said. Lukashenko, frequently referred to as Europe's last dictator, maintains close cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian border guards dismiss Lukashenko's "aggressive statements that do not align with reality." They also report no indication of reinforcements on the Belarusian side, according to Andrij Demtschenko, spokesperson for the border guards.
Minsk is not actively engaged in the war against Ukraine. However, in February 2022, Lukashenko allowed the Russian troops to initiate their offensive into Ukraine from Belarus. After suffering heavy losses and setbacks in their attempt to advance on Kyiv, these Russian units had to withdraw.
Meanwhile, the potential for further funding for Ukraine aid from the German coalition government is also facing criticism. Michael Roth, chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee and a Social Democrat, told the Funke media group: "It's a damaging signal from the German government to Ukraine if no additional funds for new military aid are planned in future federal budgets."
Whether this will indeed happen remained uncertain over the weekend. Finance Minister Christian Lindner wrote in a letter to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that "new measures" could only be taken if funding is secured in the budget plans for this and the coming years.
The letter was obtained by the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung" and dpa. However, the Finance Ministry later clarified that it remains open to discussions. Requirements must be clearly reported and verifiable – no such report has been submitted so far. In principle, the federal government is counting on Ukraine being strengthened more extensively in the future through the unlocking of frozen Russian state assets.
"The Ukrainian forces are pushing forward for the first time in a while, and they're counting on Germany, their main military partner in Europe, to step up with significant support. Regretfully, it appears that negotiations regarding the upcoming funds for military aid are hinting at a subtle retreat from Germany's obligations. We can't afford to base our safety on financial limitations." The $50 billion from the G7 relief fund, which is also derived from the interest on blocked funds, "seems significantly insufficient."
In light of the intense fighting and the need to defend key areas, President Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of expediting the delivery of weapons and ammunition from Western allies, stating, "War knows no vacations."
The conflict in the Russian region of Kursk has resulted in significant material losses for the Ukrainian military, according to the business magazine "Forbes," with analysts citing unusually high losses of tanks, armored vehicles, and heavy weapons.
