Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed for the first time on Sunday (August 18) that Ukraine’s military operations in the Russian-controlled Kursk region are aimed at establishing a “buffer zone” to prevent cross-border attacks by Russian forces.
According to the Associated Press, President Zelensky announced in Kyiv on Sunday night that Russia’s counteroffensive was aimed at creating a “buffer zone”.
“The counteroffensive against Russia is the primary task of Ukraine’s defense operation,” Zelensky said. “We aim to destroy as much as possible of Russia’s war potential and take maximum countermeasures, including establishing a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory.”
Zelensky praised the Ukrainian forces for their “excellent performance” on all fronts and urged international partners to “quickly deliver supplies”.
He said, “There are no holidays in war. Decisions need to be made, and logistical support for announced aid plans needs to be provided promptly – I specifically request this from the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.”
This marks the first time since the Ukrainian military launched a counteroffensive against Russia nearly two weeks ago that Zelensky has clearly stated the objective of the operation.
On August 6, Ukrainian forces crossed into the Russian-controlled Kursk region and launched a surprise military operation.
The Ukrainian military said it has occupied 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory so far, has control over more than eighty villages, and has captured hundreds of Russian soldiers.
Russian forces are mobilizing troops to support the Ukrainian front lines, but the Ukrainian forces continue to advance in the Kursk region.
Aerial footage released by the Ukrainian military on Sunday shows Ukrainian forces destroyed the second key bridge used for logistical supplies in the Kursk region of Russia.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Oleshchuk and Russian regional official Alexei Smirnov confirmed this information.
Earlier, a video released by Oleshchuk showed Ukrainian forces had just bombed another major bridge in the Kursk region during an airstrike.
On the 16th, Russian and Ukrainian media confirmed that the Seym River bridge in the Glushkovo region of Kursk was destroyed by Ukrainian forces.
According to Russian officials, early Sunday (18th), a fuel depot in Rostov region of Russia caught fire after being attacked by a Ukrainian drone.
Vasily Golubev, the governor of the region, stated on Telegram that a drone was shot down over an industrial warehouse, and the debris falling caused a diesel fuel storage warehouse to catch fire.
The Kursk regional government stated on Saturday that over 3,000 people have been evacuated in the past 24 hours due to the continuous attacks by the Ukrainian military.
According to CNN, an aide to the Ukrainian president stated that the Ukrainian military’s counteroffensive against Russia is aimed at ensuring a “fair” negotiation process.
While the Ukrainian military launched an offensive against Kursk, Russian attacks on Ukraine continue.
Russian forces are closing in on Ukraine’s military hub – the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region.
Zelensky stated on Sunday that in the past week, Russia has used over 40 missiles, 750 guided bombs, and 200 drones in attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages.
He also mentioned that despite dozens of attacks on the Donetsk front, Ukrainian forces are “doing everything possible to hold the line”.
As Russian forces approach, the evacuation of civilians in Pokrovsk is being sped up. Nearly 1,800 people have been evacuated in the past week alone.