Ukraine military chief says Kursk offensive working, Russia advance stalled

Oleksandr Syrskii admits Pokrovsk situation ‘most problematic’ but insists Kursk offensive having intended effect.

Oleksandr Syrskii, Ukraine’s top military commander, has defended Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, saying the offensive was working because Russia had not advanced on a key area of the eastern front in Ukraine for six days.

Kyiv launched its surprise offensive into Kursk on August 6 and says it has captured an estimated 1,300 square kilometres (502sq miles) of territory and dozens of settlements.

Officials have said the offensive was part of a strategy to slow Russia’s advance towards the strategically important town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking to United States broadcast network, CNN, Syrskii said Ukraine was doing “everything possible not to lose Pokrovsk”.

“Over the past six days, the enemy hasn’t advanced a single metre in the Pokrovsk direction,” he said. “In other words, our strategy is working.”