Ukraine launched its surprise strike on the Russian region on August 6, the biggest invasion of Russia since World War II, in an operation that Kyiv says is aimed at carving out a buffer zone and wearing down Russia's war machine.

Ukrainian forces now control 92 Russian villages across 1,250 square kilometers.

Urging his Western allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to strike Russia, Zelensky said: “Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities.”

He added: “We are witnessing a significant ideological shift—the naive, illusory concept of so-called Russian red lines, which dominated the assessment of the war by some of our allies, has crumbled apart these days."

Zelenskyy indicated that captured Russian troops would be swapped for Ukrainian PoWs.

“This operation has become our largest investment in the process of releasing Ukrainians from Russian captivity,” he said. “We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in one operation.”

Today, I addressed Ukrainian Ambassadors at a time when the world is shedding its last and very naive illusions about Russia—illusions that have significantly hindered our defense. Ukrainian warriors continue their defensive operation in the designated areas of the Kursk region.… pic.twitter.com/quFznyBO5h

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 19, 2024

While Ukraine has made progress in the Kursk region, its forces are facing defensive challenges in other areas. An escalated struggle is underway to safeguard the strategically pivotal eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, where Russia has been steadily advancing for more than two years.