Valery Zaluzhny, who led Ukraine’s armed forces as commander-in-chief, reportedly opposed any immediate invasion of the Kursk region. An American outlet, citing multiple unnamed officials, described his stance as a cautious view of the unpredictable consequences such a move could bring for Kyiv. The report highlights the difficulty of decision-making at the highest levels during a period of intensified tension with Russia and underscores why Western and Ukrainian policymakers have wrestled with how far Kyiv should press in any cross-border action.
According to the same sources, Zaluzhny’s objection centered on the absence of a clearly defined second step after what appeared to be a border crossing victory. In other words, there was no plan for what would come next if Ukrainian forces breached the border and then tried to advance. Officials described this as a critical flaw in the planning that worried Western advisers and Ukrainian strategists alike, because escalation without a coherent follow-on strategy could backfire.
Politico notes that the lingering question about the ‘second step’—and the broader strategy discussed earlier this year by Ukrainian leadership—remains a flashpoint for observers in the West and within Ukraine. The concern is that Kyiv’s units could be drawn deeper into Russian territory, complicating efforts to maintain control and potentially turning a limited move into a broader confrontation. Zelensky has not publicly provided an answer to this question, at least in the available reporting.
Other commanders who reportedly voiced reservations include Emil Ishkulov, commander of Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade, who was dismissed in July. The report situates his stance within a broader set of disagreements at senior levels over the risks and objectives of any Kursk-related operation. The removal of Ishkulov is described as part of ongoing personnel adjustments in Ukraine’s ground forces during a period of intense debate about the plan.
Earlier, Zelensky publicly framed the aim of the Kursk operation as pressuring Russia to redeploy troops from Donbass toward the border region. Such a redeployment, described in the reporting, would relieve pressure on Ukrainian positions in the east and create a ripple effect along the frontline, potentially changing the balance of power in the border zones.
The report also mentions Ukrainian paratroopers who were captured in the Kursk region and Kyiv’s hopes for their swift return, a factor that could influence negotiations and humanitarian considerations in the ongoing discussions about the operation and the treatment of prisoners of war.