Meanwhile, Belarus says it has moved a significant portion of its military forces to the Ukrainian border, citing security concerns.
19/08/2024
Exclusives
President Zelenskyy says the Kursk incursion’s goal is to create a buffer zone on the Russian territory. He emphasizes the critical need for timely military aid from allies, specifically addressing the US, UK, and France for faster delivery of supplies.
18/08/2024
his August 18 evening address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that the military incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, launched on 6 August, aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border. This is the first time Zelenskyy clearly stated the operation’s objective.
“Today, we achieved good and much-needed results in destroying Russian equipment near Toretsk. And all this is more than just defense for Ukraine; it is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region,” Zelenskyy said.
The president stressed the importance of timely military aid from Ukraine’s allies.
“There is a need for faster delivery of supplies from our partners. We strongly ask for this,” Zelenskyy stated, specifically addressing the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy once again urged Ukraine’s allies to lift the remaining restrictions on using Western weapons to attack targets deeper in Russia, including in Kursk. He argued that with sufficient long-range capabilities, Ukrainian troops could deprive Moscow “of any ability to advance and cause destruction.“
The Telegraph reported that Zelenskyy expressed concern that British aid to Kyiv had begun to wane, stating, “Unfortunately, the situation has slowed down recently.”
Earlier media reports suggested that the US was behind the UK’s inability to lift the ban on using its Storm Shadow cruise missiles deep inside Russia.
Related:
- The Times: UK awaits US approval for Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia
- Kursk operation shifts main battles to Russian soil, expert says
- Frontline report: Sudzha city taken, Glushkovo city next
- ISW: Ukrainian military maneuver in Kursk Oblast to compensate for Russia’s advantage
- Zelenskyy: Our partners need to remove barriers preventing us from weakening Russian positions
- Russia struggles to mount serious counter-attacks in Kursk, says Estonian defense official
- Ukrainian forces destroy one of three key bridges in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, complicate evacuation and logistics
And if you click the hyperlink provided by EP, you get:
The Times: UK awaits US approval for Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia
The US is preventing Britain from allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, as The UK’s month-old request to ease restrictions remains unanswered, the Times says, citing defense sources.
The United States is effectively blocking Britain from allowing Ukraine to fire Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, amid fears in the Biden administration of an escalation in the Ukraine war, The Times reports, citing sources.
Despite Ukraine’s appeals, Western countries, including the US, have restricted Ukraine’s use of their long-range weapons like ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to prevent deep strikes inside Russia, allegedly aiming to avoid escalation. Amid ongoing Russian offensive actions all across the front line in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast more than a week ago, now controlling significant parts of two districts in the region.
According to the publication, over a month ago, the UK government approached the US with a request to relax restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its long-range weapons. However, they have not yet received a response, and this issue has effectively “stuck in their system,” a UK government source told The Times.
Another government source confirmed that “discussions were still ongoing around Storm Shadow with allies,” while a third defense source described it as a “routine US process.”
British officials believe that the United States is likely waiting to assess the consequences of the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast before making a decision. Meanwhile, an unnamed representative of the Defense Committee of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada told The Times that restrictions from the West had forced Ukraine to start an operation on Russian territory.
Previously, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested permission to use American ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow for strikes on targets deep inside Russia, but has been refused each time.
The UK still remains subordinated to the USA. See the Harry Dunn tragedy for an example of this unequal relationship. There is little doubt that if a British security official had done the same thing in America, he/she would have been handed over without any fuss:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Harry_Dunn#:~:text=The%20collision%20caused%20diplomatic%20tension,Harry%20Dunn%20by%20careless%20driving.
For sure, a buffer zone on the mafia territory is essential! Every freedom and peace-loving country bordering the shithole should have a buffer zone.