- Zelensky: Our troops must respect humanitarian law
Ukrainian forces are making good progress in their push into the west Russian region of Kursk, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his evening video address, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian army is reaching its goals and is instructed to adhere to humanitarian law in its advance. "It's important that Ukraine fights by the rules, and the humanitarian needs in this area must be taken into account."
The emphasis on adhering to humanitarian law harks back to atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kyiv nearly two and a half years ago. In the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, numerous civilians were killed indiscriminately before the Russian military had to retreat from the area.
At a meeting of the Zelenskyy government, it was decided to allow international organizations access to the occupied territories in west Russia, according to the Ukrainian agency Unian. These include the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, and other organizations that provide humanitarian aid.
Advisor to the President on the Operation in Kursk
In an interview with the Russian opposition media outlet Meduza, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podoliak described the approach to the operation in the Kursk region. Among other things, Ukrainian forces are instructed to attack and destroy only military targets. Unlike Russian invaders, Ukraine will not deploy governors in occupied territories. The only contact with the Russian civilian population will be through humanitarian aid. Podoliak also stressed that there will be "no Bucha on Russian territory."
Ukrainian forces must fortify their positions to secure operational success, Podoliak said. This will allow Ukraine to "expand the scale of military operations on Russian territory" and then also send political messages: "To show the overall failure of the Russian administration, the lack of readiness to make decisions, the lack of readiness to bring additional forces and resources there." Accordingly, the war will spread to the entire Russian state territory, Podoliak believes.
Ukrainian Commander Reports on Frontline Situation
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported to Zelenskyy on the situation in Kursk and other front sections in Ukraine. Especially in the east around the Donbass, Ukrainian defenders were heavily pressured as the Russian army increased pressure there.
Syrskyi and Zelenskyy agreed that the Ukrainian troops fighting there should receive additional weapons systems from the next military aid packages from western partners. Whether reinforcements will also be sent to the region was not mentioned, likely for tactical reasons.
Russian estimates suggest that there are around 12,000 Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, including foreign mercenaries, according to Apty Alaudinov, the Chechen commander of the forces fighting in Ukraine and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Apart from Russian, you could hear Polish, English, and French voices everywhere," Alaudinov claimed in a TV interview cited by the state agency TASS. According to him, most mercenaries have already been "eliminated." Neither his claims nor those of the Ukrainian side could be independently verified.
Zelensky's Call for Release of Heavy Weapons
Following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian military airfields overnight Tuesday, Zelensky once again appealed to Western partners. "Our Ukrainian drones are working as they should, but there are things that drones alone unfortunately cannot do," he said. "We need another weapon - rocket weapons."
Kiev has been calling on Western partners almost daily to allow the use of heavy long-range weapons against military and logistical targets on Russian territory. However, the governments of Britain and the USA have so far been unwilling to grant this.
Air Raid Alert in Ukraine
An air and missile alert was triggered in several regions of Ukraine in the evening. Local media reported a heavy explosion in the southern port city of Odessa, likely caused by a missile strike. According to officials, two people were injured there. Further details were not provided. Explosions were also reported in Sumy in the east.
In the ongoing operation in the Kursk region, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podoliak emphasizes that Ukraine will only attack military targets and provide humanitarian aid to civilians, aiming to prevent a repeat of the Bucha atrocities. The Ukrainian forces are also focusing on fortifying their positions in Kursk to expand their military operations on Russian territory and send political messages.
