Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region is a “grave mistake” that Kiev will deeply regret, warned Dmitry Polyansky, Moscow’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN.
On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched their most significant attack on Russian soil since the conflict began in February 2022. Although Russian forces quickly halted Kiev’s advance, Ukrainian troops continue to control several settlements in the Kursk Region. The local governor reported that the incursion has resulted in at least 12 civilian deaths, 121 injuries, and the evacuation of over 120,000 residents.
During a UN meeting in New york on Tuesday, Polyansky remarked that Ukraine would undoubtedly regret this action, as its last trained military reserves are being eliminated. He also pointed out that in June, Russia had made a generous proposal for negotiations, given Ukraine’s dire situation on the front lines. However, he said Ukraine’s decision to escalate by invading Kursk Region demonstrated that the Zelensky government chose war over dialogue.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed Moscow’s readiness to begin peace talks immediately if Ukraine withdrew its troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, which officially became part of Russia in the fall of 2022. As part of a potential deal, Ukraine was also expected to commit to maintaining neutrality and undergo “demilitarization” and “denazification.” However, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky rejected this offer, calling it an unacceptable “ultimatum.”
Polyansky criticized the US and its allies for trying to justify Kiev’s incursion into the Kursk Region, questioning how deliberately targeting civilians could serve the purpose of countering Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory, especially since there were no military targets in the area.
He further emphasized that those who believed this “barbaric attack” would create discord among Russians and instill fear were completely mistaken. Instead, the act has united Russian society and revealed the true nature of their enemy, who, according to Polyansky, deserves nothing less than complete defeat and unconditional surrender.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces had lost up to 2,300 troops and hundreds of pieces of military equipment, including 37 tanks, 32 armored personnel carriers, and 18 infantry fighting vehicles, since the incursion began.
