General Syrsky on the Ukrainian breakthrough in Kursk: We had to do something extraordinary!

For the first time, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky talks in detail about one of the most daring military operations of Ukraine - the offensive against the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. According to him, this was an extraordinary decision. Syrsky commented on the daring Ukrainian operation to The Washington Post, quoted by FOCUS.

"We were sharply criticized because we defended ourselves and retreated. I had to do something, let's say, extraordinary," the commander-in-chief said.

"It was a surprise operation behind enemy lines - a Ukrainian invasion of the western Kursk region of the Russian Federation."

The plan was prepared by an extremely limited number of commanders. The main goal was to force Russia to go on the defense of its own territory.

According to Syrsky, at that time Ukrainian forces captured about 1,295 sq. km in the Kursk region, which stunned both Moscow and its Western allies.

The operation had a significant morale effect: it raised the morale of the army and society, which at that time was losing faith in the possibility of an offensive.

Over time, Russia again pushed Ukrainian forces out of most of the captured territories in the Kursk region.

Now, according to Syrsky, Russia is concentrating significant forces in the eastern part of the Donetsk region and is trying to break through to the Dnepropetrovsk region for the first time.

Syrsky said that at least 80,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded during the operation in the Kursk region.

However, he refused to name the losses of the Ukrainian side, but emphasized that they were significantly smaller than those of the Russians.

According to him, over the past year about one a third of all guided aerial bombs used by Russia were dropped not on the territory of Ukraine, but in the Kursk region, where active hostilities were taking place.

Moreover, it was in this region that the first units of North Korean troops were spotted.

Syrsky estimates their number at about 20,000 people. At the same time, he specified that these troops have not yet taken part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.

As previously reported, CNN reported that North Korea plans to triple the number of its troops fighting on the side of Russia against Ukraine, sending an additional 25,000-30,000 soldiers.

According to intelligence estimates, the troops may arrive in Russia in the coming months.