In the early hours of August 6, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) carried out a lightning-fast and unexpected invasion of Russia's Kursk region. For days they have been fighting against the Russian aggressor, but now on its territory. Meduza asked Mihailo Podoliak – adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, what comes next. Here's what Podoliak said:
I cannot comment on the military purpose of the operation. Only military command can comment on military targets. Of course, no one will talk about this publicly during the actual operation. This is irrelevant, because the effect of surprise and this rapid entry [of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into Russian territory] continues to have an impact and bring the necessary results. I can talk about political purposes.
The first is that Ukraine is waging a defensive war, pushing Russian artillery far enough away that it cannot be used against the civilian population. The second task is to cut off the logistical routes [of the Russians].
The third task is to show the failure of the Russian civilian and military leadership. They cannot understand what is happening, they are not capable of making quick and effective decisions, and with their actions they once again prove that they have little control over the situation. In this sense, little has changed since the campaign of “Wagner” in 2023. Accordingly, it should be obvious to our international partners that Russia is not strong enough to control the internal risks that are gradually increasing due to the war.
The fourth objective is to bring the war to Russian territory. When we entered the Kursk region, we saw how shocked people were: they live in a different reality. It seems to them that the war is being fought in Europe, but without risks for them. Now they see a completely different situation. Of course, all this will have severe social consequences for Russia. Perhaps some discussion will finally begin about the war and its consequences (note: war criminal Putin's regime and its subordinate media call their military aggression against Ukraine a “special military operation”, not a war).
This is a large-scale operation to destroy military facilities throughout the Kursk region. We do not set for ourselves the goals that Russia sets for itself when it enters foreign territory, carries out occupation actions and creates occupation administrations. Ukraine is coming to destroy military installations and does not intend to create any occupation administrations. Humanitarian corridors must operate fully in accordance with the international rules of warfare.
Ukraine will not wage any war against the civilian population... I don't see the expediency of that. Russian propaganda, of course, tries to say that it sees Buch on Russian territory. This is not the case. Ukraine adheres to international conventions and international humanitarian law. Including the treatment of non-combatants, i.e. the civilian population located in the territories temporarily occupied by Ukrainian troops.
Russia does not want to evacuate its own population because it does not want to recognize the fact that the war is already being fought on Russian territory.
The theater of military operations on the territory of Russia makes it possible to expand the political tasks: to show the failure of the Russian government as a whole. The global meaning of this operation is to show the insolvency of Russia from a military point of view, from the point of view of readiness for quick response to crisis situations, from the point of view of control over the internal space.
[Regarding the possibility of negotiations with Russia] As for negotiations, Putin has never offered negotiations in the classical sense. He always offered capitulation on the terms of the Russian Federation. Of course, no one will accept these terms. No one will negotiate with Putin on Putin's terms.
We are ready for a full-fledged negotiation process - under very clear conditions. The negotiation process must be based on international law. Ukraine believes that the negotiation process with Russia is possible only if it understands that the cost of the war for it is increasing. This means that the coercion tools must work. One of these tools is the military defeat of Russia. What is happening in Kursk is another military defeat for the Russian Federation.
Russia must suffer other tactical defeats in other directions (including the Russian economy). Diplomatic coercion must work. We are ready for negotiations – but on the basis of international law. When the negotiations take into account the actual interests of the parties, they are based on some guarantees - the results of which will be binding.
[Asked if the ZSU deliberately started the operation in the Kursk region 24 years after the sinking of the submarine “Kursk“] I don't see any symbolism here. I see symbolism in the fact that Putin's rule began with a submarine accident.
What was his attitude towards the relatives of those who died in this submarine, such is his attitude towards the civilian population of the regions [bordering Ukraine]. Absolute indifference and unwillingness to provide them with substantial assistance. This characterizes the entire period of Putin's rule. And of course, it's very symbolic. However, Ukraine has nothing to do with this symbolism. It is important for us that our operations give the necessary result.