Ukraine Defense Chief Briefs US Officials on Ongoing Offensive in Russia’s Kursk

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (L) greets United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin prior to their talks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Nov. 20, 2023. W.G. Dunlop/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has briefed a visiting delegation led by two U.S. lawmakers on Kyiv’s ongoing offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.

“The American delegation was informed about the current situation at the front,” Umerov said in a statement released by his ministry after the Aug. 21 meeting.

According to the defense minister, Kyiv’s offensive—now in its third week—aims to “cleanse the border from the threat of Russian strikes and reduce the possibility of enemy shelling and attacks on our cities.”

On Aug. 6, thousands of Ukrainian troops, backed by tanks and artillery, poured into Russia’s western Kursk region, which shares a 150-mile-long border with northeastern Ukraine.

Moscow claims that its forces have stopped Kyiv’s advance into Kursk while also conceding that Ukrainian troops are still present—and active—in the region.

Kyiv, for its part, says its forces now control more than 440 square miles of Russian territory and dozens of border settlements.

The Epoch Times could not independently verify battlefield assessments made by either side.

On Aug. 21, a U.S. delegation visited Ukraine’s capital and met with Umerov and other officials.

The delegation was led by U.S. Congressmen Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and David Trone (D-Md.), the latter of whom serves as vice-chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv welcomed the two lawmakers in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Their bipartisan visit underscores U.S. support for Ukraine in Congress and our enduring commitment to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s illegal aggression,” the embassy wrote.

Trone replied on X: “It’s an honor. Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine]!”

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Umerov used the occasion to thank Trone and Wittman for Washington’s “comprehensive bipartisan support.”

Ukrainian Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 16, 2023. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo

Plausible Denial

Washington has voiced support for Kyiv’s ongoing cross-border offensive but insists that it was not told in advance or involved in its planning or execution.

“We are not engaged in any aspect of the planning or preparation of this operation,” a White House spokeswoman told reporters on Aug. 19.

But in remarks to the British press last week, Mykhailo Podolyak, chief aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared to suggest otherwise.

“There are certain things that have to be done with the element of surprise, and that have to happen on a local level,” Podolyak was quoted as saying.

“But there were discussions between partner forces, just not on the public level.”

He didn’t identify the “partner forces” in question.

Soon afterward, Nikolai Patrushev, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleged Kyiv’s offensive was planned “with the participation of NATO and Western special services.”

“It’s common for the United States to say one thing and do just the opposite,” he said in remarks to the Russian media on Aug. 16.

“Without their ... direct endorsement, Kyiv would never have dared set foot on Russian territory,” Patrushev asserted without providing evidence for his claims.

A satellite image shows a bridge collapsed over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, following a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region, Russia, on Aug. 17, 2024. 2024 Planet Labs Inc./Handout via Reuters

US Arms, Russian Targets

At his meeting with the U.S. delegation, Umerov also reportedly raised the issue of Washington’s policy on Kyiv’s use of U.S. weapons to strike Russian targets.

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, he stressed the need to “quickly obtain permission from allies for the full use of long-range weapons against targets in Russian territory.”

In June, the Pentagon allowed Kyiv to use certain U.S.-supplied weapons, such as HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) rocket launchers, in response to limited cross-border attacks from just inside Russia.

Since Kyiv launched its offensive in Kursk, U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that this policy remains in effect.

“Nothing with respect to the policy we announced several months ago ... has changed,” a State Department spokesman said a day after the offensive began.

However, Kyiv remains banned from using U.S.-supplied long-range munitions—such as ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems)—to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Last week, Ukrainian forces damaged or destroyed several bridges in Kursk in separate air and rocket attacks.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, at least one of the bridges was destroyed with the use of Western-supplied munitions.

“For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

U.S.-made HIMARS, of which Washington has already given Kyiv an unspecified number, have a range of up to 50 miles.

Asked about Zakharova’s claims, the State Department Press Office told The Epoch Times that U.S. officials had “stated clearly on the record multiple times that there has been no change in [U.S.] policy.”

While in Kyiv, the U.S. delegation met with Ukrainian Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, who echoed Umerov’s appeal.

“It is critically important for us to lift all restrictions on the use of our partners’ weapons and to be able to defend ourselves,” Stefanchuk said at the meeting, according to a statement released by Ukraine’s parliament.

“To protect people and infrastructure, Ukraine needs enhanced military support.”

He also called for “additional air-defense systems, artillery, and combat aircraft.”