US intelligence and weapons key to Ukraine's Kursk offensive
Excellent Ukrainian intelligence and US weaponry are being credited as key elements that enabled the rapid advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory over the past week. Some analysts believe they could advance even faster if Washington allows them to use the most sophisticated weapons at their disposal.
Ukrainian forces continued to advance in the Kursk region on Wednesday, the ninth day of their first push into Russia's interior since World War II. Ukrainian forces now control a territory of about 100 square kilometers and over 70 settlements inside Russia.
"Units of the defense forces are continuing the offensive on the territory of the Kursk region," Ukrainian army commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a virtual conference on Wednesday. "Since morning, Ukrainian forces have advanced 1 to 2 kilometers."