In an interview to ELTA, the ambassador stated that Ukraine launched a defensive and preventative operation in order to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Mr Beshta stressed that Ukraine is defending itself following the UN Charter, whereas Ukraine’s Sumy region had been attacked and has been among Russia’s planned directions of attack since the start of the war.
Moreover, the ambassador said that Russia had launched an attack against Kharkiv and planned further attacks thus diverting Ukraine’s forces from Donbas. Therefore, Ukraine had to act quickly to prevent this and launched a defensive operation in Kursk, which has been highly successful as Ukrainian forces control an area of around 1,000 km2.
The ambassador did not comment what results Ukraine expects the operation in Kursk Oblast to bring, noting that an element of surprise is the key to success in all military operations.
According to Mr Beshta, the strategy of victory lies beyond the front lines, meaning that Ukraine has to hit Russian territory.
Incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast began on 6 August 2024. On 15 August, Ukraine claimed control of 82 settlements there.