Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes that during the operation, Ukrainians take prisoners of war, who can then be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners taken prisoner by the Russians (Ukrainians call it “exchange fund”).
On Tuesday, Zelensky said that “despite the difficulties and intense fighting,” the Ukrainian army is advancing deep into Kursk Oblast and “the currency fund is growing.”
General Oleksandr Syrski, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, informed the president on Tuesday that “everything is going according to plan.” Ukraine provides very little information about its activities in the Kursk Oblast. Only on Saturday – just a few days after the operation began – did Zelensky officially confirm that military operations had moved to Russian territory.
Ukraine argues that its actions in Kursk Oblast are defensive. “Ukraine is not interested in occupying areas in Kursk Oblast, it only wants to protect the lives of its citizens,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Earlier, Zelensky stressed that Sumy Oblast had recently come under heavy fire from the territory of Kursk Oblast.
