Russia shifts focus, launches offensive in Kursk to gain leverage ahead of peace talks — Ukrainian MP

Roman Kostenko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Defense Committee, stated this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

“For them, this is already a political issue. They are throwing everything there (to the Kursk region - ed.), they have changed their priorities. Until recently, their priority was the east of our country, to seize more land before the inauguration takes place,” the MP said.

According to him, the Kremlin is now preparing for peace negotiations. That is why Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is using all available forces to “push” the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the Kursk region. For the Kremlin, Kursk is a bargaining chip in negotiations.

“This is a political operation on their part to secure a stronger position in possible negotiations. The situation is difficult, and the weather adds to the complications. The terrain is muddy, forcing us to rely on logistical routes controlled by the enemy,” Kostenko explained.

He noted that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region are operating under difficult conditions, doing everything to maintain a “sanitary zone” along the border with Ukraine so that Russia cannot shell Ukrainian border areas.

What is known about the operation in the Kursk region

The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched their operation in the Kursk region on August 6, 2024, when Ukrainian troops crossed the Russia-Ukraine border near the town of Sudzha. This was the first combined-arms operation by the Ukrainian forces on Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion.

During the operation, Ukrainian forces achieved several operational and tactical goals:

• They prevented a breakthrough of Russian troops into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
• Russian forces were forced to redeploy significant troops from Donbas, reducing pressure on Ukrainian positions there.

There are an estimated 60,000 Russian troops in the Kursk region. Russian forces are trying to encircle the Ukrainian group, particularly by attempting to cut off the highway connecting Sudzha with the Sumy region.

On March 14, Ukraine’s General Staff stated that there was no threat of Ukrainian troops being encircled in Kursk.

On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian operation in Kursk had fulfilled its objectives.

On March 15, the DeepState analytical project reported that the Russian army had regained full control over Sudzha in the Kursk region and another settlement in the Sudzha district.

On March 17, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that the Ukrainian forces in Kursk had repositioned to more advantageous defensive lines, denying reports of Ukrainian troops being surrounded.