The news agency said that a month into the Ukrainian operation, US and European officials still questioned what Ukraine’s endgame was for the territory in the Kursk Region. Some allied officials fear that Ukrainian troops could be forced to give up the land in the Kursk border areas “within a few months if Moscow mounts a larger counterattack”.
As Russian forces are pressing an offensive in Donbass, some European officials expressed concern that “the cost of the Kursk operation may prove high” for Ukraine, the news agency added.
Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Kiev could use the situation in the Kursk Region “as a bargaining chip in talks”.
“But with no sign from Moscow that it is ready to negotiate in earnest, some allies worry that Ukraine may not be able to hold it long enough to provide leverage in any diplomatic efforts,” the news agency noted.
On August 6, Russia’s borderline Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine. A state of federal emergency is in effect in the region. Local residents are being evacuated to safe areas. According to the Emergencies Ministry, over 11,500 people, are staying at temporary accommodation centers.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost over 10,700 troops and 84 tanks since fighting began in the Kursk area. The operation to destroy Ukrainian units is underway.
High casualties inflicted upon the Ukrainian military since Kiev launched its incursion in Kursk Region could render its armed forces useless, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated.
The Russian leader shared his assessment of the frontline situation on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He said the Ukrainian attempt to disrupt the Russian military with the massive attack across the border last month had backfired.
”Our military has stabilized the situation and is now gradually pushing the opponent from the border territories. More importantly, there is no resistance to our advancement [in Donbass],” he explained.
“The opponent has weakened itself on the key axis by moving those relatively strong and well-trained units to the border areas.”
