Russia pulls 60,000 troops to counter Kursk incursion, Zelensky claims

Russia has pulled over 60,000 troops to Kursk Oblast to face Ukraine’s ongoing incursion as of early September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News published on Sept. 3.
“The idea and one of the goals of the Kursk Oblast (operation) was diverting Russian troops… to their territory,” Zelensky said.
“Today, I can say that they pulled over 60,000 troops there.” This is a considerable growth from a figure previously presented by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said in late August that Russia diverted 30,000 troops to the area.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion almost a month ago, allegedly seizing around a hundred Russian settlements and almost 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory. The pace of advance seems to have slowed down in comparison to the operation’s early days.
“As of today, we are holding exactly the part (of the territory) we planned,” Zelensky said. Ukrainian soldiers have also taken over 600 Russian captives, he added.
The president reiterated earlier statements by other officials that one of the motivations behind the incursion were the restrictions on the use of long-range arms on Russian territory. Kyiv has complained these limits prevent the country from defending itself effectively against Russian strikes.
Another goal was to create a buffer zone on Russian territory and prevent Moscow from creating it in Ukraine, the president added.
Zelensky also confirmed that the U.S. had not been informed about the plan in advance and explained the incursion as one step of a victory plan he plans to present to U.S. President Joe Biden and his two potential successors, Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump.
“For our part, we definitely want the war to end. Absolutely. And the victory plan is mine, it is aimed purely at forcing Russia to end the war,” Zelensky said.
“To make them understand that what they are doing is nonsense. To force them to accept the U.N. Charter, to accept the world’s rules.”
Earlier the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukraine’s plan to divert Russian troops from Donbas to Kursk Oblast had failed.
Despite the ongoing incursion on Russian soil, battle-hardened Russian forces continue pushing toward Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast.
Zelensky acknowledged that the situation near Pokrovsk remains difficult but claimed that thanks to the incursion, Russia’s advantage in firepower in the sector is now “only” three to one, compared to an earlier situation when it was 12 to one.
The president also said that Russia was forced to divert troops from other sectors, for example, from Zaporizhzhia or Kherson oblasts.