Zelenskyy on Kursk anniversary: Ukraine will force Russia to end war

For more than a year, Ukraine has been conducting active operations in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation. The Kursk operation has shown that Ukrainians will continue to defend their independence and force Russia to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the first anniversary of the operation.

"For more than a year, Ukraine has been conducting active operations in Russian territory - in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Ukrainians have once again managed to prove to the world that it is quite possible to put Russia in its place and adequately respond to its attacks," Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Wednesday.

He noted that the Kursk operation was truly special because the world's intelligence agencies did not predict it, and the Russians did not expect it.

"When many in the world thought that the situation was at a dead end, Ukrainians showed that they would continue to defend their independence and force Russia to end the war," the president emphasized.

Zelenskyy thanked every soldier, sergeant and officer and everyone who was involved in the tasks in the Kursk region.

"To everyone who prevented another full-scale Russian strike on our Sumy and Kharkiv regions. We defend Ukraine. And we remember each and every one who gave their lives in battles for Ukraine," he added.