President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 12 that Kyiv's operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast is a "catastrophe" for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his full-scale war against Ukraine.
Zelensky's evening address came after Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Ukrainian forces control abound 1,000 square kilometers in Kursk Oblast as their incursion continues into its seventh day.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify Syrskyi's claim.
According to Zelensky, this area covers the territories from which Moscow launched attacks on Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, the region that has been experiencing daily strikes from across the border.
"Therefore, our operations are solely a security issue for Ukraine: liberating the border from the Russian military," the president said.
Zelensky said he had tasked the officials and diplomats to present a list of necessary actions for Kyiv to obtain permission from its partners to use long-range weapons to protect Ukraine's territory.
"We see how Russia under (President Vladimir) Putin is actually moving: 24 years ago, there was the Kursk (submarine) disaster, which was the symbolic beginning of his rule. Now we can see what is the end for him. And it's Kursk, too. The catastrophe of his war," Zelensky added.
In August 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea while on a naval exercise. All 118 people aboard died. When asked what had happened to the submarine, Putin smiled and made his now infamous remark — "it sank."
"This always happens to those who despise people and any rules. Russia brought war to others, and now it's coming home. Ukraine has always wanted only peace, and we will definitely ensure peace," Zelensky said.
Until now, Kyiv has so far maintained a policy of silence on the incursion, despite the ongoing fighting and Ukraine advancing deeper into Russian territory.
Russian authorities have been forced to announce widening civilian evacuation measures in a number of districts bordering Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
