Ukraine’s top commander announced on Monday that Kyiv currently holds approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russia’s Kursk region. This marked his first public statement since Ukraine launched its most significant cross-border attack in nearly two and a half years of full-scale conflict.
Despite ongoing efforts by Russia to counter the incursion, which has persisted for seven days, President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video of Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, providing an update on the situation.
“We continue our offensive in the Kursk region, currently controlling around 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory,” Syrskyi reported.
Zelensky also mentioned that high-level officials have been directed to develop a “humanitarian plan” for the area.
According to Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine controls 28 settlements, with the incursion extending about 12 kilometers deep and 40 kilometers wide.
In a statement, Zelensky indicated that the defense ministry and diplomats have been instructed to outline the “necessary actions” required to obtain permission from Kyiv’s Western allies for using long-range weapons against Russia.
During a call with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov urged Paris to lift the ban on Western weapon strikes targeting military sites in Russia, as reported by Ukraine.
