Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyy explained the reasons for the Kursk operation. He also noted that Russian losses in this area amounted to 20,842 people.
"In May of this year, intelligence confirmed the enemy's plan to attack in the Sumy direction from the Kursk Region to create a so-called ‘buffer zone’ in the north of Ukraine. This was to be a continuation of the Russian operation in the Kharkiv sector," the Commander-in-Chief wrote on Facebook.
That is why it was decided to conduct a pre-emptive offensive with the transfer of hostilities to Russian territory in the Kursk Region.
According to Syrskyy, in almost three months of the operation, as of 5 November 2024, the Russian losses in the Kursk direction amounted to 20,842 people in personnel, of whom 7,905 were killed, 12,220 were wounded, and 717 were captured.
Over the same period, 1,101 units of Russian weapons and military equipment were destroyed. Among them are 54 tanks, 276 armoured combat vehicles, 107 cannons and mortars, 5 MLRS and 659 vehicles.
"Now Russia wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from this territory. The enemy has concentrated about 45,000 troops there. And it is trying to increase their number. Russia's own troops are not enough in this area, so they are trying to attract troops from North Korea," the general said and added that the Russians wanted to seize more territory in northern Ukraine in Sumy Region. However, the Ukrainian Defence Forces took a preventive step and continue to destroy Russian troops on their territory.
About 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen were awarded state decorations for their heroism and successful actions during the Kursk operation.
- The Kursk operation began on 6 August and is still ongoing. The Ukrainian military is holding a part of the Region, which helps reduce the number of attacks on Sumy Region. However, Russian forces still continue to attack Ukrainians from the territory of the Kursk Region.
- Before the start of the Kursk operation, Ukraine asked its partners to help counter Russia's offensive on Kharkiv, but they refused.
- Yesterday, Umerov confirmed that there have already been first clashes between Ukrainian and North Korean troops in the Kursk Region.
- According to Ukrainian intelligence, there are already 11,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk Region.