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Still, some in Russia wondered how this could have happened.
By Kim Barker
Reporting from kyiv, Ukraine
Russian troops appear to have halted the northward advance of Ukrainian infantrymen who introduced a wonderful cross-border attack five days ago, but they have halted their eastward advance, according to army analysts, as Moscow tries to engage Kyiv’s biggest attack on Russian territory since the start. of war.
However, despite the Russian grandstanding that would likely result, the incursion into the southwestern Kursk region has also raised questions about how it was allowed to take place in the first place.
Andrei Gurlivov, a retired army officer who is now a member of parliament, on Friday condemned Russia’s reaction and its level of preparation. “There is no military formula in position to protect the state border, neither reserves nor an immediate line of defense,” he said on Telegram, adding: “If the Armed Forces of Ukraine spent two months preparing for this, how is it possible that we have lost him? »
The attack has also led analysts to question why Ukraine would take such a risk, with some suggesting a preference for moving Russian troops away from the front. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at some other imaginable benefit: newly captured Russian troops that can be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
In a speech that night, Zelensky thanked Ukrainian troops “who are replenishing the ‘swap fund. ‘”
“This is incredibly vital and has been especially effective over the last three days,” he said. “We will have to give freedom to all our peoples who remain in Russian captivity. “
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