Pentagon Chief and Ukrainian Defense Minister Discuss Current Ukrainian Operations

On Wednesday, August 14, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov. They discussed, in particular, the current operations of the Armed Forces.

The Head of the Pentagon noted that during the conversation with Umerov, priority assistance in the field of security and current military operations of Ukraine was discussed.

“The United States remains committed to helping Ukraine defend against Russian aggression,” Austin wrote on his official account on X.

In turn, the Ukrainian Minister provided updated information on the situation on the battlefield, as well as the impact of Russian attacks on Ukraine.

On August 12, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially stated that Ukraine is conducting an operation in the Kursk region of Russia. According to the latest data, Ukraine was controlling 74 settlements, about 1,000 km² of the territory of the Russian Federation. Zelenskyy has also stated that hundreds of Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian forces.

US President Joe Biden, in his first comments on Ukraine's incursion of the Kursk region, said the operation “is creating a real dilemma for Putin.”