Ukraine army chief confirms Russia's plan to attack from Kursk region

Russia had planned to launch an attack from the Kursk region before Ukraine's operation began, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.

In an interview with CNN, he outlined six key objectives for Ukraine, including diverting Russian forces and capturing prisoners of war.

According to Syrskyi, Russia intended to launch a new attack from the Kursk region before starting the Ukrainian operation.

Syrskyi considers the operation in the Kursk region a success.

"It reduced the threat of an enemy offensive. We prevented them from acting. We moved the fighting to the enemy’s territory so that [the enemy] could feel what we feel every day," the Commander-in-Chief said.

He outlined the following key objectives of the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region:

→ Prevent Russia from using the area as a launchpad for a new offensive;

→ Divert Russian forces from other areas;

→ Create a security zone;

→ Prevent shelling of civilian targets across the border;

→ Capture prisoners of war;

→ Boost the morale of Ukrainian troops and the nation overall.

See also: Ukrainian Armed Forces show activities of military commandant's office in Kursk region – photos