Russia is preparing tens of thousands of troops for an offensive to retake the Russian region of Kursk, which Ukraine has occupied for months, according to Colonel Oleksandr Shirshiky, the commander-in-chief of Kiev.
Shirschiky said the threat posed by Russian forces “cannot be underestimated” and warned that he was ready to launch an attack on Kursk.
“Currently, in accordance with the orders of the military leadership, they are trying to eliminate our troops and advance deep into the territory we control,” Silski said in a Telegram post, adding that the Ukrainian military is refusing to make any advances. He added that he was prepared to stop it.
Russian forces are slowly advancing on Ukrainian positions in Kursk from multiple directions, aiming to retake some 500 square miles of territory taken by Ukrainian forces when they launched a surprise attack in August.
But Russia has so far refrained from large-scale deployments, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed that the Kursk attack will not undermine Russia's efforts to seize territory in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine still retains much of Kursk's territory, including the main city of Suzha.
The arrival of North Korean troops may have changed that calculus. The United States said there were about 10,000 North Koreans in Kursk, and Ukrainian officials said Ukrainian forces had already opened fire on the new troops.
new york times reported Roughly 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops have assembled for the Kursk offensive, which they say will allow them to advance into Russian territory without sacrificing efforts in eastern Ukraine.
Still, Russia could incur heavy losses if it tries to force the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces, which have occupied the territory for more than three months.
The US says Russia has already suffered around 600,000 casualties since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with 1,200 casualties per day in September alone, the deadliest month ever. .
It is unclear what effect the large-scale attack on Kursk will have on relations with the United States, which could include significant concessions on the part of Ukraine after the recent election victory of President-elect Trump, who has advocated an end to the war. There is.
The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump called Putin last week and asked him not to escalate the war, but the Kremlin rejected the call.
