CIA Acknowledges 'Conversations' Regarding Ukraine's Move into Kursk Region
According to CIA Deputy Director David Cohen, Ukraine’s cross-border operations into Russia are expected to persist “for some period of time.” Read Full Article at RT.com
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Deputy Director David Cohen expresses hope that Ukrainian forces will present a “difficult fight for the Russians.”
CIA Deputy Director David Cohen remarked at the Intelligence and National Security Summit on Wednesday that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region will likely persist "for some period of time."
Earlier this month, Ukraine initiated a surprise raid into Russian territory, deploying around 10,000 troops equipped with Western-supplied heavy weaponry. The operation has allowed the Ukrainian army to capture certain border areas, resulting in casualties among civilians; however, it has not managed to penetrate further into Russia.
It has been reported that Ukraine did not consult its Western allies prior to the operation, leading to confusion regarding its ultimate objectives.
During the summit, Cohen refrained from directly addressing whether he and his colleagues were "surprised" by Ukraine’s incursion, emphasizing that the significance and ramifications of the attack “remain to be seen.”
Cohen noted that Ukrainian forces are establishing defenses within Russia and indicated, "as best as we can tell from our conversations, there seems to be intent on retaining some of that territory for some period of time," though he did not clarify the specifics of those discussions.
He further suggested that Ukraine's offensive “has the potential to change the dynamic” of the ongoing conflict, while acknowledging that Russia “will mount a counteroffensive to try to reclaim that territory.”
“I think our expectation is that this will be a difficult fight for the Russians,” he said, adding, “It’s still early days in this, so we’ll have to see how it all plays out.”
The objectives of the Ukrainian leadership regarding the Kursk Region operation have been somewhat unclear. Initially, it was indicated by President Vladimir Zelensky’s office that gaining Russian territory was crucial for establishing a stronger stance in future peace negotiations with Russia. Additionally, there was the intention of pressuring Moscow by dissuading the Russian public from opposing Ukrainian terms.
However, the narrative shifted, with Zelensky later highlighting the establishment of a buffer zone as an essential outcome. Just last Saturday, he asserted that the incursion had thwarted a Russian move into Ukraine’s Sumy Region from Kursk.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the incursion and the damage inflicted on Russian civilians have rendered negotiations with Ukraine impossible, previously proposing a ceasefire in exchange for political and military concessions.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
CIA Deputy Director David Cohen remarked at the Intelligence and National Security Summit on Wednesday that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region will likely persist "for some period of time."
Earlier this month, Ukraine initiated a surprise raid into Russian territory, deploying around 10,000 troops equipped with Western-supplied heavy weaponry. The operation has allowed the Ukrainian army to capture certain border areas, resulting in casualties among civilians; however, it has not managed to penetrate further into Russia.
It has been reported that Ukraine did not consult its Western allies prior to the operation, leading to confusion regarding its ultimate objectives.
During the summit, Cohen refrained from directly addressing whether he and his colleagues were "surprised" by Ukraine’s incursion, emphasizing that the significance and ramifications of the attack “remain to be seen.”
Cohen noted that Ukrainian forces are establishing defenses within Russia and indicated, "as best as we can tell from our conversations, there seems to be intent on retaining some of that territory for some period of time," though he did not clarify the specifics of those discussions.
He further suggested that Ukraine's offensive “has the potential to change the dynamic” of the ongoing conflict, while acknowledging that Russia “will mount a counteroffensive to try to reclaim that territory.”
“I think our expectation is that this will be a difficult fight for the Russians,” he said, adding, “It’s still early days in this, so we’ll have to see how it all plays out.”
The objectives of the Ukrainian leadership regarding the Kursk Region operation have been somewhat unclear. Initially, it was indicated by President Vladimir Zelensky’s office that gaining Russian territory was crucial for establishing a stronger stance in future peace negotiations with Russia. Additionally, there was the intention of pressuring Moscow by dissuading the Russian public from opposing Ukrainian terms.
However, the narrative shifted, with Zelensky later highlighting the establishment of a buffer zone as an essential outcome. Just last Saturday, he asserted that the incursion had thwarted a Russian move into Ukraine’s Sumy Region from Kursk.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the incursion and the damage inflicted on Russian civilians have rendered negotiations with Ukraine impossible, previously proposing a ceasefire in exchange for political and military concessions.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
