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Ukraine's Kursk incursion prevented another Russian offensive, says Syrskyi

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Ukraine's Kursk incursion prevented another Russian offensive, says Syrskyi
Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Feb. 10, 2023. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Russia was planning an offensive from Kursk Oblast before Ukrainian forces launched operations there, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed in an interview with CNN published on Sept. 5.

Syrskyi said that Ukraine successfully preempted the Russian offensive by moving the fight into Russian territory, reducing the threat and limiting Russia's ability to act.

The operation in Kursk aimed to prevent Russia from using it as a launchpad, divert Russian forces and create a security zone to protect Ukrainian civilians.

Syrskyi also noted that because Moscow transferred significant amounts of troops to defend Kursk, Russian advances in Pokrovsk slowed down.

The Pokrovsk sector has been the scene of heavy battles for several months and a focal point of Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast.

The town is an important logistical hub for the Ukrainian forces that support their operations in the region. Pokrovsk had a pre-war population of around 80,000.

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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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