Russians were taken aback by the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, according to Kirill Sazonov.

So, friends, let me briefly provide you with information regarding the Kursk direction, what is actually possible. I will remain silent for a while. Because right now, an overwhelming amount of information is about to flood in, and you risk drowning in it. HOWEVER! There will be no comments from the General Staff, directions, or brigades. Nor will there be from me. We are in a state of silence. It’s clear that everyone wants to be the first to joyfully bombard you with messages and videos, but that could be harmful. Hence the order. It may be liked or disliked (I don’t like it), but this is the Armed Forces of Ukraine and discipline. So, details will follow when it becomes possible. Indeed, mistakes and a rush for hype can cost our brothers their lives.

So, after a few days of preparation, our operation in the Kursk region began today. We advanced on the right flank, which is a crucial point. Because in recent days, the enemy has been actively concentrating forces precisely on the left. Perhaps this was significant, and we managed to deceive them regarding the direction of the strike. It seems they calculated the preparation for the offensive. After all, in the last few days, there has been significant shelling of various points in the Sumy region. The overall picture is that they are confused.

We can immediately note the excellent work of our specialists in electronic warfare. These are the boys and girls you never see in videos and official photos in nice uniforms with heavy armor. They are the clever ones who devise various ways to neutralize all the enemy's might.

In any case, there was quite a commotion on Russian quasi-military forums – "Ukraine has suppressed our drones; they are not taking off!" They were well-prepared for the passage of minefields with trawls and equipment. We were lucky with the weather – after warmth and snow, frost hit, and all the field roads became passable again.

It’s almost amusing to write about goals, tasks, and timelines. All our units have clear, specific tasks for now, while the strategic plans of the General Staff are classified, which is logical and has always been the case. All the talk about the ultimate goal of blockading the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant or capturing it, or advancing to Kursk itself, is nothing more than tea leaf reading. In such cases, we always say there will be no announcements. Because that could spoil the surprise for the Russians, and they would no longer find it interesting to play with us.

The political factor is obvious regardless of geography. We are expecting Trump’s special representative, Keith Kellogg, in Kyiv, and the inauguration of the US president is in two weeks. Active combat operations in the "canonical" territory of Russia at this moment provide the right backdrop for negotiations. Commander Syrsky enjoys sudden raids where the enemy doesn’t expect them. It would be nice to also start a counteroffensive in Donetsk at this time, but… let’s be realistic. An overview of the Donetsk region will be available tomorrow morning. It won’t be possible to sleep tonight anyway, and free time and communication will almost always be available.