Ukraine's daring Kursk offensive: Inside the secret war plans
Operation Kursk shocked not only the Russians but also the Ukrainian officers. According to The Wall Street Journal, some commanders who attended the secret meeting with Ukraine's Chief Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi believed he was bluffing to intimidate the Russians.
The Wall Street Journal writes that Ukraine's Chief Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi's plan to attack the Kursk region in the Russian Federation surprised not only the Russians but also the Ukrainian officers.
The plans for the Ukrainian offensive were kept strictly confidential for a long time. According to "The Wall Street Journal", Syrskyi gathered the top officers at a secret meeting at the end of July, during which he presented the offensive plan. The General is said to have announced that the Ukrainian army would "swap roles with Moscow", conducting the first invasion of Russia since World War II.
One of those present, the Chief of Staff of the 61st Mechanised Brigade, admitted that his initial reaction was shock. Lieutenant Colonel Artem Kholodkevych revealed that his first thought was: "Where are we going?" - We dispelled the myth that Russia is an invincible country; we did something no one has done in 80 years, he added.
- Syrskyi's strength lies in the fact that he is a general who acts unconventionally, suddenly, and unexpectedly for the enemy. He knows that we do not have parity, so he uses cunning and every advantage we have - comments Serhiy Cherevatyi, a former adviser to Syrskyi on communications.
Ukraine decides how to defend itself
On Saturday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg commented on the "Kursk operation". He believes that Ukraine took a risk by entering Russian territory, but it is up to them how they conduct this military operation.
- (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border - Stoltenberg emphasised in the German newspaper "Welt am Sonntag".
