Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces have made further advances in Russia's Kursk region.
"The Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr Syrskyi) also reported on our operation in the Kursk region. We continue to expand the territory under our control in the designated areas near the border of Ukraine," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Wednesday evening.
According to Xinhua news agency, Ukrainian armed forces entered Russia's Kursk region on August 6.
"We must also understand now that all the pressure we have transferred to Russia means that they cannot put any more pressure on our Donetsk region," Zelensky said in his address.
However, the Ukrainian President also noted that the situation in Pokrovsk and other directions in the Donetsk region "is extremely difficult".
"The key Russian efforts and their largest forces are concentrated there, and the resilience of each of our units, our ability to destroy the occupier, are now very important," he said.
On Wednesday, Zelensky reiterated that Ukrainian forces continue to expand their control in the Kursk region, where Kyiv initiated an "operation" over three weeks ago.
"We continue to expand our control over designated areas near Ukraine's border. Today, as every day, our exchange fund has also been replenished," he said in an evening video address.
He expressed gratitude to Ukrainian troops for their bravery in the border region, mentioning that he had received a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi earlier that day regarding the situation in the Kursk region.
"This is something that will help bring home many of our people from Russian captivity. We must also understand now that all the pressure we have transferred to Russia means that they cannot put any more pressure on our Donetsk region," he said.
Zelensky also emphasized Ukraine's collaboration with its partners to supply military resources to the front lines.
"We continue to insist that their determination now -- lifting the restrictions on long-range strikes for Ukraine now -- will help us to end the war as soon as possible in a fair way for Ukraine and the world as a whole," he said.
Russian officials have not yet responded to Zelensky's statements, and independent verification remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.
Kyiv's operation in the Kursk region began on the night of August 5-6, when Ukrainian forces advanced near the town of Sudzha, located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of conducting a "large-scale provocation" and engaging in "indiscriminate shooting," labeling the incursion as a "terrorist attack."
A few days later, Zelensky confirmed that it was an "operation" by Ukrainian forces, clarifying that the objective is to establish a "buffer zone" to prevent cross-border attacks by Russia.
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