FRANCE 24’s Senior Reporter takes us deep into Ukrainian-controlled towns in Russia’s Kursk region. Our veteran war reporter recounts "when the Ukrainians mounted a lightning offensive and breached the Russian border in a move which surprised many of Ukraine’s allies." Embedded with the Ukrainian military, she offers us an intimate, unprecedented view of daily life in Kursk towns seized by Ukraine, including the spontaneous interactions between Ukrainian soldiers and the local Russian population weary of their Ukrainian occupiers. Catherine Norris Trent describes the "unstable situation on the ground" surrounded by "battle sounds": shells, artillery, explosions and plumes of smoke never too far off. And there is "pretty intensive fighting" thundering in the distance. The Ukrainian military told her it is a very "dynamic, fast moving, ever-changing" battle and now Russia has begun to fire over "80 attack drones, missiles and guide bombs on its own territory inside the Kursk region." Surprisingly many Russian locals were more than willing to interact with the media to share their story. Some expressed their sheer anger towards Ukraine, believing that the war only began this past August with Ukraine’s Kursk incursion. Speaking to local residents, Catherine Norris Trent described the challenging day-to-day situation for elders with "very little contact with the outside world", wanting desperately to seek assistance, evacuate and connect with family members. As this brutal proxy war of attrition grinds on, with no end in sight, Zelensky envisions this military incursion into Kursk as a key element to his victory plan endgame to "bring the war to Russian and coerce Putin by military means". His hope is to stretch Russian forces thin, force an end to the war and strong arm concessions from Moscow.
🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen
🔴 LIVE – Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN
🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/
Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen
Follow us on X (Twitter): https://f24.my/Xen
Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen
Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen
Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen
Add comment