They told Zelensky: No! Now it will be cooked in a "cauldron"?

It is recalled that at the beginning of August, Kyiv transferred thousands of its soldiers from its northern border to Russian territory in the Kursk Governorate, with the aim of reducing the intensity of Russian military pressure on Ukrainians on internal combat lines.

Although the Ukrainian president claimed that he carried out the operation in Kursk as part of a "victory plan" that he will submit to the US government this month, on which the outcome of the war actually depends, according to the latest report from the American publication Politico, Zelensky actually defended issuing the order to attack Russia.

The portal then quoted Ukrainian security sources, and wrote: "Many Ukrainian military leaders, such as Valery Zaluzhny, the former commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, who is now the country's ambassador to England, opposed Zelensky's plan to attack Kursk."

And then they continued: "Other senior officials opposed to Zelensky's operation include Emil Ishkulov, the commander of Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade, a highly respected commander. He was removed in July amid protests from senior officers who wanted him to remain in office".

At the time of Ishkulov's dismissal, Ukrainian military commanders stated in a protest video: "We do not understand why commanders who have authority among the people and have a successful combat record and experience in a major war are not liked by the top leaders of the armed forces."

However, according to the Politico report, one of the main reasons, or perhaps the "only reason" for Ishkulov's dismissal, was his opposition to Zelensky's "gamble" to attack Kursk. In this regard, it continues, two senior Ukrainian military officials, whose identities have not been disclosed, told Politico that the reason for Ishkulov's opposition to the attack on Kursk was that the operation looked like a dangerous gamble and possible high casualties.

The American portal then points out that while opposing the attack on Kursk, Zaluzhny told the president of Ukraine that even if Ukrainian forces succeed in capturing Kursk, this operation has no clear future.

In this regard, a Ukrainian official told Politico: "Zaluzhny always asks what we are going to do after the capture of Kursk, and Zelensky always remains silent to his questions. According to Zaluzhny, the attack on Kursk seemed like a gamble." That attitude that Zaluzhny has, it is further stated, is also held by the West.

"Many believe that Ukrainian forces can be trapped in Kursk and that eventually the course of the war will change to the detriment of Ukraine," writes Politico.

However, the situation now is that Russian forces are advancing towards Pokrovsk, the most important communication route between Donetsk and Zaporozhye, and Ukrainian forces have been sent to Kursk. But at the annual meeting in Yalta, Zelensky claimed that the situation in Donetsk is returning to normal, adding that the situation in the Donetsk and Pokrovskoe regions has been improving in recent weeks.

Recently, the American New York Times reported that Ukraine sent more troops last week to defend the lines around Pokrovsk.

Russia refrained from a direct attack on the city in order to target its south to extend the front and threatened to encircle Ukrainian forces between Pokrovsk and the city of Korahiv. The semi-circle that Russia has created in this area is a tactic known as the "cauldron".