“No Bucha on Russian territory”: The Ukrainian government is satisfied with the military operation on Russian soil – and stresses that there should be no atrocities against civilians.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian armed forces are making “good progress” in their advance into the western Russian region of Kursk. The Ukrainian army is achieving its goals, Zelensky said in his evening video address – and has been instructed to respect humanitarian law in its actions. “It is important that Ukraine fights according to the rules, and the humanitarian needs in this area must be taken into account.”
The emphasis on the observance of humanitarian law goes back to atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kiev almost two and a half years ago. In the capital’s suburb of Bucha, numerous civilians were indiscriminately killed before the Russian military was forced to withdraw from the area.
According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, a meeting of Zelensky’s government decided to allow international organizations access to the occupied territories in western Russia. These include the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and other organizations that provide humanitarian aid.
Presidential adviser on the Kursk operation
In an interview with the Russian opposition media outlet Meduza, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak described the approach to the operation in the Kursk region. Among other things, the Ukrainian armed forces were instructed to attack and destroy only military targets. Unlike the Russian invaders, Ukraine would not appoint any governors in occupied territories.
The only contact with the Russian civilian population is the provision of humanitarian aid. Podolyak also stressed that there would be “no Bucha on Russian territory”.
The Ukrainian armed forces must strengthen their positions to ensure operational success, Podoliak continued. This will allow Ukraine to “expand the theater of military operations on Russian territory” and then also enable political messages to be sent: “To demonstrate the failure of the Russian administration as a whole, the unwillingness to make decisions, the unwillingness to bring additional forces and resources there.” Accordingly, the war will spread to the entire Russian territory, said Podoliak.
Ukrainian commander reports on front situation
The Ukrainian commander Olexander Syrskyj had reported to Zelenskyj on the situation in Kursk and on other fronts in Ukraine. The Ukrainian defenders were particularly hard hit in the east around the Donbass, as the Russian army had increased the pressure there.
Syrsky and Zelensky agreed that the Ukrainian troops fighting there should receive additional weapons systems from the next military aid packages from Western partners. Whether reinforcements would also be ordered to the region was not mentioned – probably for tactical reasons.
According to Russian estimates, the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region number almost 12,000 men. Among them are also foreign mercenaries, said General Apty Alaudinov, a Chechen native who is the commander of the Chechen armed forces fighting in Ukraine and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“You could hear Polish, English and French voices everywhere,” Alaudinov claimed in a television interview quoted by the state agency Tass. According to him, most of the mercenaries had already been “eliminated.” Neither his statements nor those of the Ukrainian side could be independently verified.
Zelenskyj’s call for release of heavy weapons
After a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military airfields on Wednesday night, Zelensky once again appealed to Western partners. “Our Ukrainian drones work exactly as they should, but there are things that unfortunately cannot be done with drones alone,” he said. “We need another weapon – missile weapons.”
Almost every day, Kiev calls on its Western partners to give permission to use heavy long-range weapons against military and logistical targets on Russian territory. However, the British and US governments have so far refused to agree to this.
Air raid warning in Ukraine
In the evening, air and missile alerts were sounded in several regions of Ukraine. Local media reported a serious explosion in the port city of Odessa in the south, which was probably caused by a missile impact. According to the authorities, two people were injured there. No further details were given. Explosions were also reported in Sumy in the east.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
