Ukraine did not disclose preparations for an operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast to Kyiv's allies because the world might consider it crossing Russia's "strictest of all red lines," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19.
Two weeks into Ukraine's cross-border offensive in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian troops control over 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory and 92 settlements in the region while continuing to strengthen their positions, Zelensky claimed.
According to the president, the concept of so-called Russia's red lines, "which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners," had crumbled "somewhere near Sudzha."
"Just a few months ago, many people around the world, if they had heard that we were planning such an operation like the one in Kursk Oblast, they would have said that it was impossible and that it would cross the strictest of all the red lines that Russia has," Zelensky said.
"That is why, actually, no one knew about our preparations," the president said during a visit to the city of Dnipro.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was considering several scenarios for an incursion into Russia's territories, The Economist reported citing military sources. The general shared his plans only with a selected few military and security officials and discussed them with Zelensky in one-on-one meetings to maintain maximum operational secrecy, the outlet's sources said.
Despite the ongoing fighting, Kyiv maintained a policy of silence on the incursion for several days after the operation's start.
"When our Ukrainian defenders act in this way, strongly, bravely, and when the operation is really well-prepared, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has nothing to do," Zelensky said.
"And now the world sees that this is true, that it really works — not only on the temporarily occupied territory of our country, but also on the territory of Russia itself."
Zelensky called on Western partners to be "in sync" with Ukraine in their determination to force Russia to a just peace.
Kyiv said that rather than capturing Russian territory, the incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements.
Despite mounting reports that Russia is moving at least some forces to the sector, Kyiv's troops in the east of Ukraine say the situation there remains dire as Moscow continues its advance near Pokrovsk and Toretsk.
Chris York
(Updated: )
