FALCON POWERS – Ukraine launched new drone attacks on the Russian border region of Kursk on Tuesday, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the West for supporting Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russian territory.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense units destroyed 12 drones over Kursk, which Ukraine had attacked a week earlier and claimed to have captured around 1,000 square kilometers of by Monday. Putin said on Monday that the Ukrainian incursion, the largest since the 2022 invasion, aims to improve Ukraine’s negotiating position before any potential peace talks.
In his most detailed public comments on the attacks, Putin also said that Kyiv, “with the help of its Western masters”, is trying to slow the advance of Russian forces participating in what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Putin also questioned the possibility of negotiating with an enemy he accuses of randomly firing on Russian civilians and nuclear facilities.
On Monday, Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukrainian forces are continuing their advance into Russian territory.
In a video posted on Zelenskyy’s Telegram account, Syrskyi said, “We are continuing the offensive operation in the Kursk region. We currently control around 1,000 square kilometers of the territory of the Russian Federation.”
