There is no encirclement of AFU in Kursk region; our guys are "standing" – Zelenskyy
Ukrainian units in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation are not encircled by Russian troops.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this at a meeting with journalists, Censor.NET reports.
After Putin claims that our guys are encircled, they hold their positions, proving that they are not surrounded and that it is not Putin who decides when they should withdraw," the head of state said.
"It’s not easy, but they are doing great, and that’s why we will defend our state until we force the Russians to end this war," Zelenskyy emphasized.
When asked whether Ukraine was conducting operations in the Belgorod region, as previously reported by Russian Telegram channels, the president replied:
"We have observed a new buildup of troops along the border with the Sumy region. We see what they are trying to do—they aim to strike Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. This is what we are seeing. But we will not allow them to do this so easily," he added.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Kursk operation had achieved its primary objective—drawing a significant portion of Russian troops away from the Pokrovsk and Kharkiv directions. Later, the head of state added that the operation in the Kursk region is still ongoing and that there is no encirclement of Ukrainian troops.
Subsequently, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a battlefield map of the Kursk region, indicating that the Defense Forces are currently positioned outside of Sudzha.
