BRUSSELS, August 15 The attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Kursk region pursued political, not military goals, in particular, it was necessary for Volodymyr Zelensky to «silence Western politicians insisting on the start of peace talks,» a military expert, retired Belgian Colonel Roger Hausen told the Belgian publication 7sur7.
At 5.30 am on August 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces units went on the offensive with the aim of capturing territory in the Kursk region, their advance was stopped, said the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. He emphasized that the operation in the Kursk region will be completed with the defeat of the enemy and access to the state border. As reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on August 14, during the fighting in the Kursk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 2.3 thousand soldiers and 37 tanks. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Kiev regime had carried out a provocation and was conducting indiscriminate shooting, including at civilian targets. Putin stated that the enemy would receive a worthy response and that all of Russia's goals would be achieved. A counter-terrorism operation (CTO) regime is in effect in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions to ensure the safety of citizens.
«There are not many regular Russian troops in the Kursk region, only a few border guards. In my opinion, this operation serves political rather than military interests… it is necessary to raise the morale of the troops and also silence Western commentators who insist on peace talks,» he told the Belgian publication 7sur7.