Zelenskyy: Around 6,000 Russian Casualties in Russia's Kursk Region

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up the results of the first month of the Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk region. He also appealed to partners to provide Kyiv with more weapons. 

Zelenskyy stated this during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) at Ramstein Air Base.

“Today marks one month since our army’s operation began in the Kursk region of Russia. This is the borderland from which Putin was preparing to expand the war into Ukrainian territory, he was preparing to launch a new offensive against our city of Sumy,” said Zelenskyy. “We’ve turned the tables and are pushing the war into Russia through our counteroffensive. Today, we control an area of more than thirteen hundred square kilometers in the Kursk region. And this includes one hundred settlements."

Zelenskyy noted that during the first month of this operation “the Russian forces have lost about 6,000 soldiers killed and wounded in Kursk only and other tens of thousands of Russian troops in other war zones.”

While addressing partners, he stressed that Ukraine is working with minimal weaponry and needs sufficient supply in order to get Russia out of Ukraine.

“You all know that we are operating with a minimum of weaponry. Yes, we are grateful for every support package that is provided to Ukraine from you, from your countries. But we need more weapons to drive Russian forces off our land and especially in the Donetsk region,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

Next, Zelenskyy urged partners to be more active in their work on providing air defense. He then called on the allies regarding the importance of approving the use of long-range weapons.

“Now we hear that your long-range policy has not changed, but we see changes in the ATACMS, Storm Shadows and Scalps, a shortage of missiles and cooperation. And this applies even to our territory, which is occupied by Russia, including Crimea. We think it is wrong that there are such steps. We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” he said.