The US has refuted the accusations made by the Kremlin that it assisted in planning Ukraine’s surprise attack on Russia’s Kursk region, accusing the West and the US-led NATO alliance of doing so.
The largest foreign force invasion of Russia since World War II, known as the shock invasion, started on August 6 when thousands of Ukrainian troops crossed Russia’s western border, severely embarrassing Putin’s armed forces.
Moscow Claims That The US PLand NATO Are Supporting Ukraine’s invasion of Russia
According to Ukraine, the incursion was necessary to compel Russia—which had launched troops into the country in February 2022—to start holding “fair” peace talks.
However, the United States, which has repeatedly stated that it is not interested in engaging in direct military combat with Russia, claimed that Washington was not participating and that Ukraine had not given early notice, despite the fact that American and British weapons are been used on Russian soil.
In a recent interview, prominent senior Kremlin hawk and head of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev refuted the claims made by the West.
“The operation in the Kursk region was also planned with the participation of NATO and Western special services,” he was quoted by Izvestia newspaper.
“Without their participation and direct support, Kyiv would not have ventured into Russian territory.”
The remarks implied that Ukraine’s first acknowledged foray into sovereign Russian territory carried a high risk of escalation.
Putin chaired a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, including Patrushev, and said the discussion would focus on “new technical solutions” being employed in what Russia calls its special military operation.
“Washington’s efforts have created all the prerequisites for Ukraine to lose its sovereignty and lose part of its territories,” Patrushev said.
Ukraine said on Thursday that it had installed a military commandant in the area it controlled, even as Russia intensified its offensives in Ukraine’s east.
Russia’s defence ministry for its part said it had repelled a series of Ukrainian attacks along the Kursk frontline.
After more than 10 days of fighting, Ukraine holds at least 450 sq km (175 sq miles) of territory or less than 0.003% of Russia.