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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukrainian lawmaker calls Kiev's foray into Russia's Kursk Region poorly planned 'tragedy'

Some of the forces had to be redeployed from the Kiev-controlled areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic, leading to Ukraine’s retreat there, Verkhovna Rada member Maryana Bezuglaya noted

MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region ended up being a tragedy for the Ukrainian army, Verkhovna Rada (parliament) member Maryana Bezuglaya said.

"The way the Kursk operation was planned resulted in a tragedy in the medium term," she wrote on Telegram.

Bezuglaya pointed out that assault teams had been understaffed, while some of the forces had to be redeployed from the Kiev-controlled areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic, leading to Ukraine’s retreat there. Moreover, the Ukrainian army failed to establish defenses in the Sumy Region, and Kiev eventually lost territories after Russian troops launched a counteroffensive.

The lawmaker added that Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky should be dismissed and punished for such poor planning, along with other commanders who had taken part in the operation.

On August 6, 2024, Russia’s borderline Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev lost more than 76,500 troops in the Kursk area. The Russian military's operation to destroy invading Ukrainian forces lasted 264 days. On April 26, 2025, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that the operation to liberate the Kursk Region was over.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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