Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained that Kyiv did not disclose preparations for the incursion into Russia's Kursk region because it might have seemed unrealistic.
The President made this statement during a meeting with heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Ukraine titled "War Diplomacy: Resilience, Weapons, Victory."
“Just a few months ago, many people around the world, if they had heard that we were planning such an operation like the one in the Kursk region, would have said that it was impossible and that it would cross the strictest of all the red lines that Russia has,” Zelenskyy said. “That is why, actually, no one knew about our preparations. And now our warriors’ real success speaks for itself – our active defensive actions across border as well as Putin's inability to defend his territory from such defensive actions of ours are very telling.”
At the same event, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces already control 92 settlements and over 1,250 km² in the Kursk region.
Ukraine officially announced carrying out an operation in the Kursk region on August 12.
