NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg Endorses Ukraine’s Kursk Operation for the First Time
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has, for the first time, expressed approval of the advancement of Ukrainian armed forces into the Kursk region, which belongs to Russia.
“For over 900 days, Russia has been waging an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, launching numerous attacks across the border from the Kursk region into Ukraine. Russian soldiers, tanks, and bases are legitimate targets under international law,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Welt.
Stoltenberg also stated that Ukraine's right to self-defence does not end at Russia's borders. He rejected accusations that NATO was informed about the offensive on Kursk, asserting that Ukraine did not coordinate its plans with NATO.
Furthermore, Stoltenberg mentioned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had clarified that the operation was aimed at creating a buffer zone to prevent further attacks from Russia. He emphasised that the decision to carry out this operation was solely Ukraine’s.
“Of course, the Kursk operation, like all military operations, carries risks. But this is Ukraine's decision on how to defend itself,” Stoltenberg said.
Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, added that Russia's “slow and disorganised” response to the Ukrainian offensive indicates a lack of preparedness within Russian forces.
Earlier, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that since the beginning of the operation in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine has captured 594 Russian soldiers and now controls over 100 settlements across an area of 1,294 square kilometres.
He noted that one of the objectives of the Kursk operation was to divert significant Russian forces from other fronts, particularly Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
“At present, we can confirm that approximately 30,000 Russian troops have already been redeployed to the Kursk direction, and this number continues to grow,” the Commander-in-Chief stated.
Syrskyi underscored that while the Russians are attempting to withdraw units from other directions, they are simultaneously intensifying their efforts in the Pokrovsk direction.