Ukraine expects "giant" counterattack after Kursk advance
Russia is caught off guard by a Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region and loses control of several settlements. The attack causes displeasure in the Kremlin. A devastating counterstroke is reportedly already being planned.
Ukrainian forces, in their push into the Russian region of Kursk, have brought dozens of settlements under their control. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the operation is a security measure to protect the eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy. The Kremlin is growing displeased with the attack on Russian territory, as reported by the "Moscow Times". In Ukraine, a fierce counterstroke is feared, writes the newspaper citing a Ukrainian source.
"Russia has the need to give a very hard answer, something monumental, to show the world that it is all-powerful and that something like Kursk will not go unpunished," writes the newspaper. In Kyiv, hundreds of rockets are expected, which could become a problem for air defense, according to the source. Earlier, a Ukrainian security official had already told the news agency AFP that Russia was preparing a massive rocket attack on "decision-making centers" like the parliament in Kyiv in response to the offensive in Kursk.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin had ordered his forces to finally stop the Ukrainian army's advance in the Russian territory of Kursk, which has been going on for a week. "The main task of the Ministry of Defense is now to expel the enemy from our territories and ensure reliable border security," said Putin at a crisis meeting in Moscow.
Selenskyy: Kursk as a Symbol of Putin's Downfall
The acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, inadvertently revealed at the meeting how deeply Russia has been affected by the surprise incursion. In his region, 120,000 people have been evacuated from the affected or endangered districts, he said. Another 60,000 people are still there where evacuation is necessary. "The situation in the region is difficult." There have been 12 deaths and 121 injuries, including 10 children; about 2,000 people are missing.
Zelenskyy described the action in Kursk as a symbol of the beginning and end of the Russian president. He referred to the disaster of the sinking of the most modern Russian nuclear submarine "Kursk" in August 2000 with 118 crew members on board. "Twenty-four years ago, there was the Kursk disaster, which marked the symbolic beginning of his reign; now we see the end of it - and it's Kursk again."
The international community expresses concern over the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with The Commission issuing a statement urging both parties to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions. In response to the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, The Commission is considering imposing sanctions on Russia if it continues its aggressive actions.
