Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday spoke of his military’s ongoing incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, saying his forces are working to create “a buffer zone on the territory.”
His comments followed reports earlier in the day that Ukrainian forces had destroyed a second bridge in the Kursk region. The destruction of the bridge over the Seym River near the village of Zvannoye comes just two days after Ukraine reportedly destroyed another bridge over the Seym in Kursk’s Glushkovsky district.
Earlier in the month, Ukraine launched its offensive operation in Kursk Oblast as war continues to rage between the two nations since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from both Kursk and the surrounding regions, while armed clashes intensify across southwestern Russia following Ukraine’s unexpected cross-border raid.
“It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall, to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible,” Zelensky said during his Sunday evening address, according to the Kyiv Independent.
He added, “In particular, this is the creation of a buffer zone on the territory of the aggressor—our operation in Kursk Oblast.”
Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Elsewhere in his address, Zelensky spoke of achieving “good and much-needed results in destroying Russian equipment near Toretsk,” a settlement in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast where Russian troops have carried out heavy assaults in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian leader also said that the “coming weeks will be crucial for our diplomatic efforts with various partners in Europe, America and the Global South.”
“We’ve already expanded and will continue to expand the circle of those who support a just end to this war,” Zelensky said, per the Kyiv Independent. “It’s essential that Ukraine enters this fall even stronger than before.”
The destruction of the bridge near Zvannoye serves Zelensky’s goal of impacting Russia’s logistical capabilities. Russian news Telegram channel Mash reported that Kyiv’s strike on the bridge was carried out with U.S.-supplied HIMARS missiles.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk announced the attack on the bridge with a video posted to Telegram that shows a plume of smoke rising from the structure.
“Minus one more bridge!” Oleschuk wrote. “The aviation of the air force continues to deprive the enemy of its logistical capabilities with precise strikes from the air, which significantly affects the course of hostilities! Thanks again to the pilots for their professionalism and results!”
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Sunday for comment.