Zelenskyy urges West for speedy military aid amid Kursk incursion

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that one of the goals of Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region is to create a buffer zone on the territory of Russia.

He made the remarks on his Telegram channel in an evening video message, according to Caliber.Az.

Moreover, the Ukrainian leader urged the West to hurry up with deliveries of military aid to the country's Armed Forces (AFU).

“Our partners are required to accelerate deliveries. We are asking for it very much. War has no holidays,” he stressed.

According to Zelenskyy, it is necessary to establish timely logistics to deliver weapons to the Republic within the announced packages.

“Especially I appeal now to the United States, Britain, France,” the Ukrainian president concluded.

On August 6, 2024, amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a significant incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, marking a new phase in the conflict. The operation involved Ukrainian troops crossing the border and engaging with Russian Armed Forces and border guards.

By August 9, reports indicated that at least 1,000 Ukrainian troops, supported by tanks and armoured vehicles, had entered Kursk Oblast. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukrainian forces advanced approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into Russian territory over the course of two days. They successfully seized control of several settlements in the Sudzhansky District.

In response to the incursion, a state of emergency was declared in Kursk Oblast, and Russian reserves were mobilized to counter the advance. By August 10, Russian authorities had introduced a "counter-terrorist operation" regime in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk oblasts. This measure aimed to manage the escalating security situation and enhance military and border security.

Over the week following the incursion, the Ukrainian military reported capturing approximately 1,000 square kilometres (390 square miles) of Russian territory. By August 13, Russian authorities confirmed that Ukraine had taken control of 28 settlements in the affected regions.

On August 15, Ukraine established a military administration to govern the territory it had captured, further solidifying its control over the newly acquired areas.

Nearly 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate from border regions. On August 14, the governor of the Belgorod region declared a state of emergency, blaming the relentless bombardment by Ukraine.

Russia, which has deployed reinforcements to the region, said it had halted the Ukrainian advance and that attacks had been repelled at villages about 26 to 28km (16 to 17 miles) from the border.