President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has set the Russian military command the task of pushing the Ukrainian Defense Forces out of the Kursk region by January 20, 2025, when the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is to take place in the United States, UNN reports citing Suspilne.
"For Putin, the most important thing is to push us out of the Kursk region. And all these stories, all these demonstrative strikes with new missiles are not just for show. He has set this task. I am sure he wants to push us out by January 20 next year. It is very important for him to demonstrate that he is in control of a situation that he does not control," Zelensky said.
The President emphasized that Ukraine's operation in the Kursk region demonstrated Moscow's inability to defend its own territories, as all resources were directed to the occupation of Ukrainian lands.
"That's why the most difficult situation is where we need to keep it, the most difficult situation is in Donbas, in the east of our country. He (Putin - ed.) wants to show that he will fulfill, as he said, the tasks of the so-called "special military operation," occupy the entire Donbas, and he needs to push us out of the Kursk direction. He has these two tasks. This is the reason for our results: difficulties in the east. Yes, there is an insufficient number of Ukrainian Armed Forces there. Yes, Ukrainian units are understaffed for various reasons, including the slow delivery of aid," he said.
Zelensky noted that the most important thing is that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are present in the Kursk region and continue to defend their homeland.
According to him, the Russian army is suffering significant losses in this area, which had not been the case before. In addition, he said that, according to intercepted data, Putin sends personal requests through the command, emphasizing that the success of the so-called "svo" depends on the results of the Kursk operation.
Recall
As a result of the Storm Shadow missile strike in the Kursk region , 18 Russian soldiers, including Lieutenant General Solodchuk, were killed, 33 Russian soldiers were wounded, and 500 North Korean soldiers were killed.