Zelenskiy Challenges Kremlin's Bluff Amid Ukraine's Assault on Kursk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asserted that Kremlin's threats of retaliation are a bluff, urging allies to lift restrictions on foreign-supplied weapons. Ukraine's forces control over 1,250 square kilometers in Russia's Kursk region post their surprise invasion, aiming to create a buffer zone and degrade Russia's military capacity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared on Monday that his country's incursion into Russia's Kursk region proves Kremlin's threats of retaliation are mere bluffs. He called on allies to ease restrictions on the use of foreign-supplied weapons.

Zelenskiy revealed that Ukrainian forces now control more than 1,250 square kilometers and 92 settlements in Kursk. Russia, however, claimed Ukraine had struck a third bridge in the region, complicating their efforts to counter the Ukrainian offensive.

Ukraine launched this massive strike on August 6, marking the largest invasion of Russia since World War II. Zelenskiy emphasized that the operation aimed to form a buffer zone and dismantle Russia's war capabilities.

(With inputs from agencies.)