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[Global Times reporter Li Ziyu] According to a report by the British magazine The Economist on the 18th, several sources familiar with the matter revealed to the media that earlier in July, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sersky, was under considerable pressure when the front line in the Donetsk region was collapsing. Before the Ukrainian army launched an attack on Kursk Oblast, there were rumors that Sersky was on the verge of being dismissed.

Seerski's profile picture is from British media

According to Xinhua News Agency, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on February 8 that Sersky will replace Zaluzhny as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Economist said that Serski has been trying to solve the "less than ideal legacy" left by his predecessor Zaluzhny in the past few months since he took office. The military leadership and the president disagreed on the conscription and mobilization policy, resulting in a serious shortage of manpower. In addition, the US Congress delayed aid to Ukraine, resulting in the loss of Avdeyevka in the northern Donetsk region.

The report added that in addition to rumors that Serski was on the verge of being fired, people associated with Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, also attacked Serski, saying he had been "lying" to his superiors.

According to reports, in the chaotic situation, Serski began to make plans. He considered several options, including attacking the Bryansk region or the Kursk region, or both, or attacking more regions. The Economist described this as "extraordinary measures for extraordinary times."

The Economist said that Serski kept the plan secret and only told a small number of generals and security officials. His conversation with Zelensky was also one-on-one. Ukraine's Western allies were also kept in the dark. Sources said that Serski's previous two operations were sabotaged by the West. One was leaked to the Russians and the other was asked to be terminated.

The report goes on to say that keeping the spread of the news to a "need to know" range would allow Ukraine to launch an attack before Russia learned of the situation. The source said, "They (Russia) realized that something was going to happen, but probably thought we needed US approval to carry out such a bold action." The report mentioned that in the face of the fait accompli, the West did not object.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Ukrainian army launched an attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast on the 6th of this month, and then the two sides broke out in fierce conflict in the state. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the situation on Russia's southern border on the 12th and said that Russia will resolutely respond to Ukraine's series of provocations in the border area. Ukrainian President Zelensky delivered a video speech on the evening of the 18th, saying that one of the main purposes of Ukraine's attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast was to establish a buffer zone in Russia. Russian News Agency reported on the 19th that Russian presidential assistant Ushakov told the media that Russia would not talk to Ukraine at this stage. Zelensky said on the 19th that the Ukrainian army is achieving its set goals in the Kursk region.

Data released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the 19th showed that in the past day, the Ukrainian army lost more than 330 people and 4 tanks in the Kursk direction. In the entire battle in Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian army has lost more than 3,800 people and 54 tanks. The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that the Russian army continued to advance in the Donbas region and occupied more advantageous defense lines and positions in many areas, including controlling the large settlement of Artyomovo in the Donetsk region.