Politico: Zaluzhny Opposed Ukrainian Armed Forces Operation In Kursk Region
33- 17.09.2024, 12:29
- 20,222
It was Zelensky who insisted on it.
Some of the top commanders of the Ukrainian army objected to the Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk region of Russia, Politico writes, citing two high-ranking Ukrainian military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first broached the offensive earlier this year and pushed for it.
Among those who objected, according to the publication, was the former Commander-in -Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Zaluzhny’s objection to the incursion, meanwhile, was that there was no clear “second step” after the border had been successfully breached. According to one of the officials, Zaluzhny never got a clear answer from Zelensky in this regard and felt the whole operation was a gamble.
The publication notes that apart from the former Commander-in-Chief, Emil Ishkulov, commander of Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade who got dismissed in July, also opposed the offensive. The sources claimed that “Ishkulov objected to the Kursk operation, fearing his brigade could eventually be too exposed inside Russia and that the casualty toll could rise precipitously.”
It is stated that Zaluzhny’s question about the “second step” after breaking the border of the Russian Federation remains a key one with “both Western and Ukrainian doubters worrying that Kyiv's forces could get caught inside and suffer a demoralizing reversal”.