French defence ministry says Kursk Oblast operation is being conducted by Ukraine and has met with some success

The French Ministry of Armed Forces, commenting on developments in Russia's Kursk Oblast, has stated that this is a Ukrainian operation which has had "some initial success".

France's Armed Forces Ministry claims that the operation is being conducted by Ukrainian forces, although neither Ukrainian military command nor Kyiv has issued any direct statements on the matter.

"The offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk Oblast, leveraging the element of surprise and facing less well-trained forces compared to those on the Eastern front, seems to have met with some initial success. This attack could compel Russian forces to redeploy troops from other parts of the war zone and thus ease local pressure in areas where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been struggling," the report said.

The French Ministry of Armed Forces notes that both sides are conducting deep strikes, with Ukrainian forces continuing to target Russian airfields and energy infrastructure.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin called the situation in Kursk Oblast a "provocation". The US Department of State has pointed out the irony of Putin's statement.

Ukraine has not yet officially commented on the events in Kursk Oblast. However, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, posted a photo "at the starting point", and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening address that he had received three "productive" reports from Syrskyi which are "exactly what our country needs now".

Zelenskyy noted that "achieving goals at war was not Ukraine’s choice" – Russia brought the war and "should feel what it has done".

Peter Stano, the European Commission’s spokesperson on foreign policy issues, said that Ukraine has the right to defend itself and can strike Russian territory.