The Ukrainian advance into western Russia appears to be having an effect. President Selenskyj describes the goals of the offensive – and sees his troops on the right track.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the offensive by Ukrainian troops in the western Russian region of Kursk is also about a lasting weakening of the enemy army. Russia’s losses are “very useful” for the defense of Ukraine, he said in his evening video address. “It is about destroying the logistics of the Russian army and using up its reserves,” Zelensky explained. “We must inflict maximum damage on all Russian positions, and that is what we are doing.”
The Washington Post reported on another advance by Ukraine into Russian territory, namely in the direction of Belgorod. However, Russian units there were already on standby following the events in the Kursk region, and the Ukrainian attack had already become bogged down in the border area.
Commander-in-Chief Olexander Syrskyj said Ukrainian troops had advanced another one to three kilometers near Kursk. “Fighting continues along the entire front line,” he said in a video clip released in the evening. “In general, the situation is under control.”
Zelensky said Syrsky also reported to him on the situation on other front lines. The focus was mainly on the areas near Pokrovsk and Toretsk on the edge of the Russian-occupied Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky did not provide any details.
The General Staff in Kiev reported 23 attacks by Russian troops near Pokrovsk. “The defenders have repelled 17 attacks, and another six battles are still ongoing,” it said in the evening. Eight Russian attacks were repelled near Toretsk. During the fighting, the Russian Air Force bombed both Toretsk and the smaller towns of Nyu Jork (New York) and Nelipivka. The information could not be independently verified.
Russia has been waging a relentless war of aggression against Ukraine for two and a half years and has conquered large areas in the east of the neighboring country. In order to prevent further conquests, the Ukrainian military has launched a counter-offensive into the western Russian region of Kursk. This may also be intended to improve the negotiating position in possible talks between Moscow and Kiev.
Ambassador Lambsdorff: Moscow not ready to negotiate
The German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, currently sees no chance of peace negotiations in the Ukraine war. “At the moment, the Russian side is not showing any willingness to negotiate, but is insisting on far-reaching preconditions,” said Lambsdorff, who has been ambassador for about a year, in an interview with the “Bonner General-Anzeiger”.
If Russian President Vladimir Putin declares that he is only prepared to hold talks with the Ukrainian side if it first completely withdraws from all areas that he believes Russia has already annexed – including those parts that Russia does not even control militarily – “then it is clear that there is no seriousness behind it,” said Lambsdorff.
The work of the German embassy in Moscow is geared towards being present in order to be able to take action should Moscow’s attitude change. “Because one day Russia will also have to realise that it is achieving far less with this war than it initially intended, that it is causing serious international damage and that it is in a war economy that is completely overheated and will not be sustainable.”
Ukrainian advance to Kursk “nasty surprise” for Russia
The Ukrainian advance into the Russian region of Kursk with ground troops made Russia nervous, said Lambsdorff. For the border guards, the secret service, the military, the civil defense and also the population, it was a nasty surprise that the Ukrainian troops were able to pull off such an operation.
Heads of recruitment centers arrested
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the heads of two recruitment centers near Kiev have been arrested for accepting bribes in exchange for the exemption of conscripts. The “Ukrajinska Pravda” reported that during searches of offices and apartments in the suburbs of Bucha and Boryspil, bundles of money were discovered and confiscated. The heads of the recruitment centers and their accomplices are said to have received a total of around one million dollars (the equivalent of around 900,000 euros) for their services.
According to the investigations to date, the leaders provided falsified medical reports that declared young men unfit for military service and excluded them from further registration. Initially, 20 people were identified who had attempted to obtain an exemption from military service in this way.
Young Ukrainians try to avoid military service for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. In many cases they simply try to escape across the green border into neighboring countries. Due to the tightened controls, smuggling gangs are now looking for new ways to bring fugitive conscripts abroad – mostly to Romania – for large sums of money.
Many Russians also evade military service by fleeing abroad. Since the beginning of the war, tens of thousands of men have left Russia and settled in neighboring former Soviet republics, among other places.
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.
