Ukraine names top achievements on the battlefield in 2024

(Dan Tri) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has listed one of the country's greatest achievements in the past year.

Ukrainian artillery opens fire (Photo: Reuters).

Speaking in an interview with the United News program, Mr. Zelensky said that in 2024, Ukraine successfully prevented Russia's plans to gain control of Kharkov, Sumy and Zaporizhia.

"One of the most important achievements of the past year, in the fall and winter of 2024, was the defeat of three Russian operations to capture Kharkov, Sumy and Zaporizhia. All participants deserve recognition, especially our soldiers," Zelenskyy said, stressing that these were three Ukrainian cities.

"I want to thank the people who live there. They have endured a tremendous ordeal," the President shared.

Earlier, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with Le Monde that he was forced to launch an offensive into Russia's Kursk province to stop Moscow's advance in Kharkov and prevent Russian forces from opening another front in Sumy province.

Ukraine launched an offensive in Russia’s Kursk border province last August and seized control of more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory. The campaign is aimed at forcing Russia to divert some of its forces from the eastern front, where Ukraine’s defenses have been stretched by successive waves of attacks.

However, this goal is not easy. Russia claims to have recaptured half of the territory in Kursk controlled by Kiev.

Moscow says Ukraine lost more than 46,000 troops and thousands of combat vehicles and missile launchers in Kursk.

Meanwhile, Mr. Syrskyi said, the Ukrainian army forced Russia to mobilize a significant amount of resources to Kursk, redeploying reserves from other directions. "Enemy losses in Kursk province have exceeded 38,000 people and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment," he said.

On the other hand, observers say that Ukraine’s Kursk campaign seems to have backfired as Kiev had to send a large force to defend its gains while lacking troops on other fronts. Russia seized the opportunity and gained control of a record-breaking large area of Ukraine’s territory in the East over the past year.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-neu-thanh-tuu-quan-trong-hang-dau-tren-chien-truong-nam-2024-20250103173423377.htm