Vladimir Putin’s ‘weakness’ is being exposed by the Kursk offensive, said Oleksandr Musienko (Image: PA)
A Ukrainian drone attack yesterday ignited a fire at a military facility in Volgograd, previously Stalingrad, a few hundred miles to the south-east.
Kyiv’s Kursk onslaught has seen it take territory and prisoners, and hit key infrastructure including bridges, airfields and oil depots.
Mr Musienko, who heads up the Center for Military Legal Studies think tank, told Express.co.uk: “I think that this operation has had a big influence on Putin’s leadership.
READ MORE: WW3 fears explode as Russian drones spotted over key EU infrastructure
A view from Kursk, where conflicts continue between Russian and Ukraine (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Putin is trying to do everything right now to hide the consequences of this operation. He visited Baku, Chechnya, Beslan, everywhere, he spoke about everything, but not about Kursk.
“He is trying to hide this situation, trying to show that this not important for him.”
Russia appears to have been unprepared for Ukraine’s incursion on August 6, and has been noticeably struggling to gain a foothold ever since.
Mr Musienko said: “Everyone can see that Putin is weakened right now.
Dramatic first person footage shows Ukraine’s troops dressed in camouflaged bodysuits in Kursk (Image: X)
“Everyone can see that Ukraine has shown we can go forward to Russia and hit it where it hurts, we can attack Russian military objects on their territory.
“Putin tries not to speak about this, but even his allies can see it.
“It’s a blow to his reputation and image, and of course that’s important, and I think that some elites around the Putin, who are not talking publicly right now about this situation, are still thinking about it.
“They are talking to each other, and they can see that Putin is weak right now. So they are thinking about the future, probably without Putin already.”
Mr Musienko added: “I think that my message to West and Britain is that you don’t need to be afraid.
A Ukrainian military vehicle drives from the direction of the border with Russia carrying POWs (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“You can see that Ukraine ruined and destroyed a lot of myths about Russia, this idea that ‘we cannot to win against Russia, Russia will win, Russia so powerful’ and so forth.
“Ukraine destroys these myths, so we don’t need to be afraid. I think that this is the time to attack and punch Russia and Putin as hard as we can.
“I think that together, we can do this, especially if Ukraine gets permission to use long range missiles such as ATACMS, Storm Shadows against Russian military infrastructure.
“That will support our offensive operation near Kursk very well.”
Speaking today, Andrei Bocharov, governor of the Volgograd region, said a “defence ministry facility” was on fire after being attacked by drones in the area of Marinovka, in a clear indication that Ukraine is not letting up on its attacks. Bocharov did not specify what was damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Image: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE)
Ukraine attacked Russia overnight on Thursday with 28 drones, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said.
Thirteen were shot down over the Volgograd region, seven over the Rostov region, four over the Belgorod region, two over the Voronezh region, and one each over the Bryansk and Kursk regions, the ministry said.
Also on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to the northeastern Ukrainian border area from where his forces launched their offensive.
Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces have claimed control of an additional village in the Russian region of Kursk and taken more Russian prisoners of war for what he calls an “exchange fund” to swap for captured Ukrainians.
Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X after hearing a report from the military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Mr Zelensky said: “Another settlement in the Kursk region is now under Ukrainian control, and we have replenished the exchange fund.”
