Ukraine’s Zelenskiy goes to the Sumy area, which is next to Russia’s Kursk province

In a statement released on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had visited the northern Sumy region. This is where Ukraine began a major invasion of the nearby Russian Kursk area.

Almost two months after the surprise operation, Kyiv’s troops still control large parts of the Russian border, though they are moving more slowly and Moscow’s forces have started to fight back.

“It is crucial to understand that the Kursk operation is a really strategic thing, something that adds motivation to our partners, motivation to be with Ukraine, be more decisive and put pressure on Russia,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.

Although he was visiting the 82nd Air Assault Brigade with his top army leader, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the president thanked the military for protecting Ukraine’s borders.

He stated that the invasion, which Ukraine claims is bringing war back to Russia, “has greatly helped” Kyiv get the most recent military aid packages from the West.

“We need to motivate the whole world and convince them that Ukrainians can be stronger than the enemy,” he said to the troops.

Russia’s gains in the east of Ukraine were not greatly distracted by the Kursk incursion, even though it was a quick success at first.

According to the Ukrainian military, they pulled back from the hilltop town of Vuhledar on Wednesday so that they wouldn’t be surrounded by Russian troops. These troops have also moved closer, to within about 7 km (4 miles), of Pokrovsk, which is a vital hub further north.

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy said that he had met with his military command and talked about the front lines, air defenses, and the energy situation in the Sumy region. Power outages have been happening because Russia has been hitting its power grid hard.

Additionally, Syrskyi wrote on Facebook that he had recently talked about working together on the ground and online with General Christopher Cavoli, who is in charge of the U.S. European Command, and General Timothy Haugh, who is in charge of the U.S. Cyber Command.

After stressing the need for better cyber cooperation, Syrskyi said, “It is important for us to use all available opportunities to achieve superiority over the enemy, both on the battlefield and in cyberspace.”