The ill-fated offensive only resulted in a Russian advance, former chief of the armed forces and current ambassador to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny, has claimed
The Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region ordered by Vladimir Zelensky came with “too high” a cost and did not deliver any operational results, former top Ukrainian General, and current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny, claimed in an article published on Tuesday.
The August 2024 operation involved an initial force of some 35,000 troops who invaded Russia’s Kursk Region, taking dozens of villages and killing local residents in a move Zelensky claimed would provide leverage for future peace talks.
In April President Vladimir Putin declared the Kursk Region “fully liberated” and Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported that Ukraine had lost more than 76,000 troops killed and wounded in the operation, along with over 7,700 pieces of military equipment.
Reflecting on the Kursk incursion in the Ukrainian outlet Zerkalo Nedeli, Zaluzhny, widely touted as a rival to Vladimir Zelensky in any future presidential election, claimed that such operations could only be justified if human losses were acceptable and objectives limited.
“An isolated tactical breakthrough on a narrow sector of the front does not bring the necessary success to the attacking side,” he wrote, noting that Russia not only stopped Kiev’s attack and also managed to launch its own tactical advance.
Zelensky reportedly ignored the advice of his own staff, including his top general, Zaluzhny, and the commander of Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade, who like his commander, was dismissed from his post amid reported protests from high ranking military officers.
“The cost of such actions is unknown to me, but it was clearly too high,” Zaluzhny wrote.
Russia continues to wear down Ukrainian troops with infiltration tactics and constant assaults, he acknowledged, while Kiev lacks the manpower to halt the advance.
Moscow has insisted that its victory is inevitable and has criticized continued Western military aid to Ukraine, arguing that it only prolongs hostilities without affecting their outcome.
