Putin Declares Ukraine's Kursk Offensive a Failure

According to SAEDNEWS, President Vladimir Putin announced that Ukraine's recent incursion into Russia's Kursk Region has failed. He stated that Ukraine was unable to stop the advance of Russian forces in the Donbass area.

Putin mentioned that Russian troops are making significant progress, moving into key areas of Donbass faster than in a long time. “The Russian armed forces are taking control of territories not just by hundreds of meters, but by square kilometers,” he explained.

He labeled the operation in Kursk as a provocation that would ultimately fail and promised that Moscow would deal with the Ukrainian forces that crossed into Russian territory. According to Putin, Ukraine might eventually realize that it needs to seek a resolution through negotiations, and he emphasized that Russia has always been open to talks.

However, he expressed skepticism about the willingness of Ukraine's leadership to end the conflict, suggesting that they were afraid of upcoming presidential elections that could happen once martial law is lifted. “They are not ready for this and have little chance of being re-elected,” he said.

Putin assured that Russia would continue to protect its people in Donbass and would not allow threats near its borders.

Earlier in August, Ukraine had deployed thousands of troops in the Kursk Region, marking its largest offensive since the conflict began in 2022. Though Ukraine initially gained some ground, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that their advance was eventually stopped. The ministry estimates that Ukraine has suffered heavy losses in the operation, with more than 7,800 soldiers, 75 tanks, and over 500 armored vehicles reported lost since the offensive began on August 6.