Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces are containing 64,000 Russian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, preventing them from attacking other parts of the front line.
“We are holding a large number of troops, 64,000 Russians in the Kursk direction. This is a very serious group that could otherwise spread out and attack us from different directions,” Zelensky told reporters Friday evening, praising Ukrainian troops operating in the area.
Zelensky also rejected reports that Ukrainian units operating in Kursk are surrounded, saying: “There is no encirclement of our group in Kursk Oblast.”
Ukrainian forces have maintained a limited presence on Russian territory in recent months, which Kyiv views as part of its strategy to divert Russian military resources and ease pressure on key areas of the front.