Kursk operation accomplished its objective, Zelenskyy says 

He made the statement to journalists, Ukrinform reports.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the purpose of the Kursk operation was to draw Russian troops away from Pokrovsk, the Kharkiv direction and Sumy. 

“Our guys are absolutely heroic, they took such a strong blow. The pressure was first relieved in the Kharkiv sector. They (the Russians - ed.) pulled as many of their troops as possible from there to the Kursk region. Then they began to withdraw from the eastern direction, but did not abandon their main objective - Pokrovsk. We understood all this. We were just strong people who realized that at some point there was a chance that the Russians would stop at Pokrovsk. And so it happened. The Pokrovsk direction is stabilized, as is the Kharkiv direction,” Zelenskyy said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the purpose of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region was to divert Russian troops away from Pokrovsk, the Kharkiv sector, and Sumy.

“Our guys are absolutely heroic; they withstood a powerful blow. The pressure was first relieved in the Kharkiv sector. The Russians pulled their forces from there to the Kursk region to a maximum extent. Then they began withdrawing from the eastern direction, but they did not abandon their main objective — Pokrovsk. We understood all this. There were simply strong people who recognized that at some point, there was a chance that the Russians would stop in the Pokrovsk direction. And that is exactly what happened. The Pokrovsk direction is stabilized, as is the Kharkiv direction,” Zelenskyy stated.

The President thanked the Ukrainian soldiers for the Kursk operation, noting that it had fulfilled its purpose.

"I believe that it has fulfilled its task. I think the situation in the Pokrovsk sector is now stable, and it will be very difficult (for Russia - ed.) to find an opportunity to occupy Pokrovsk again," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Situation in Kursk region

The OSINT project DeepState reported that the Russian army made slight advances on the Kursk front, particularly near Mirny and Zozulevka. Additionally, Russian forces are reinforcing positions in the eastern part of Sudzha.

On March 12, Forbes reported that Ukrainian troops were likely to leave the Kursk region amid the Russian offensive. In particular, this concerns the most combat-ready part of the brigades.

At the same time, Ukrainian MP Kostenko denied the information about the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Defense Forces from Sudzha. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also assured that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out their mission in Kursk.

On March 14, Ukraine’s General Staff stated that there was no threat of encirclement of the Ukrainian military in the Kursk region. Over the past day, the situation in this area has not changed significantly.