Ukraine’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk region was a shock to the Kremlin but also to the West, including its primary patron, the U.S.
Kyiv’s leadership was tight-lipped about the Aug. 6 mission that resulted in the most significant invasion of Russia since World War II.
Ukraine hasn’t said why it chose to keep the White House in the dark about the operation. However, Biden administration officials have made no secret of their concerns about Kyiv taking actions that might provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his diplomats that their forces control almost 500 square miles of Russian territory in Kursk Oblast, which shares a border with Ukraine.
“This operation has become our largest investment in the process of liberating Ukrainians from Russian captivity. We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in a single operation,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
Just recently, most observers would have said Ukraine couldn’t mount a full-scale invasion of its more militarily fearsome neighbor, Mr. Zelenskyy said.
“Now our warriors’ real success speaks for itself. Our active defense actions across the border, as well as Putin’s inability to defend his territory from such defensive actions as ours, are very telling,” he said. “Our proactive, preventive defense is the most effective counter to Russian terror, causing significant difficulties for the aggressor state.”
Soon after Ukrainian troops rolled across the border, officials in the White House and the Pentagon pressed their counterparts in Kyiv for clarification about their plans in Kursk. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke over the weekend with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
“The secretary did get a better understanding from speaking with Minister Umerov just on what they’re trying to accomplish there. We did get some more clarity,” Ms. Singh said Monday. “We still seek some additional details that are more in-depth. We’re working through those.”
The U.S. provides the bulk of the firepower for Ukraine, and the White House restricts how Kyiv may employ the weapons. While Russian targets along the border are open for attack, the Biden administration won’t allow American-provided rockets and missiles to be fired deeper into Russian territory.
“There has not been a change in our longstanding policy on how weapons can be used on the battlefield,” Ms. Singh said.
A Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region wouldn’t have been necessary if its supporters, especially the U.S., lifted restrictions on the use of weapons on Russian territory, Mr. Zelenskyy said.
“Russian military bases, Russian military airfields, Russian logistics and other military facilities — whose existence allows Putin to evade the search for peace — are legitimate targets for our defense forces,” he said. “But for now, we cannot use all the weapons at our disposal and eliminate Russian terrorists where they are.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.