Exactly one year ago, the Kursk offensive operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces began. During this time, the Russian army has lost more than 77,000 servicemen killed and wounded in total. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, as reported by UNN.
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August 6th is a significant date in the military history of our state. On this day in 2024, the Kursk offensive operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces began, which for the first time brought the full-scale war to the territory of the aggressor country. This was a decisive and bold step in response to the enemy's preparation of a new offensive campaign in the north of Slobozhanshchyna. We did not wait for the blow – we delivered it ourselves. We proved by deed that Ukraine is capable not only of defending itself, but also of acting preemptively and attacking effectively
The Commander-in-Chief noted that after careful planning of the operation, Ukrainian units were able to break through enemy defenses, penetrate deep into the enemy's rear, and disrupt its logistics. At the peak of the operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine controlled up to 1300 km² of the Kursk region.
We demoralized the Russian personnel and forced them to transfer significant reserves to Kursk, weakening pressure in other directions of the front
He noted that at that time, the Ukrainian military did not allow the enemy to implement offensive plans and formed a buffer zone, thanks to which Sumy and Kharkiv remain on free Ukrainian land.
During the year, in the area of responsibility of the "Kursk" troop grouping, the Defense Forces inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. The Russian army lost a total of more than 77,000 servicemen killed and wounded (of which about 4,000 were DPRK citizens). 7236 units of Russian weapons and military equipment were destroyed or damaged, including 211 tanks, 1083 armored combat vehicles, 907 artillery systems, 1 aircraft, 3 helicopters, 15 air defense systems, 2795 units of vehicles
According to him, the Kursk operation also provided an invaluable humanitarian result: 1018 captured Russian servicemen replenished the exchange fund, which has already allowed us to bring home hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers, including those who had been in captivity since 2022.
In fact, the enemy was able to restore lost positions and areas only after involving DPRK troops, significantly increasing its grouping, and transferring the main intensity of guided aerial bomb use to Kursk. The offensive operation in Kursk achieved most of the set goals defined by the highest leadership of the state - Syrskyi wrote.
Syrskyi noted that the scale of enemy losses, the effectiveness of Ukrainian asymmetric actions in the offensive, and strict adherence to international humanitarian law on the territory of the Russian Federation were recognized by the world and became a source of invaluable experience for both Ukrainian troops and foreign allies.
This operation is another confirmation: the Ukrainian army has strategic thinking, strength, and will