President Putin's Adviser Says NATO And West Support Ukraine's Cross-Border Attacks In Kursk

Nikolai Patrushev. (Wikimedia Commons/Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - Presidential adviser Vladimir Putin said North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Western special units supported the Ukrainian attack on Kursk, saying without it Kyiv soldiers would not dare to enter Russian territory.

Ukraine launched a flash attack on Kursk on August 6, as thousands of its tank-backed troops and armored vehicles crossed Russia's borders.

The United States and Western countries, which want to avoid direct confrontation with Russia, said Ukraine had not given advance notice, while Washington was not involved, although the weapons provided by Britain and the US have reportedly been used on Russian soil.

However, Russian President's adviser, Nikolai Patrushev, rejected Western statements in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.

"Operations in the Kursk area are also planned with the participation of NATO and the West special service," he said, without providing evidence.

"Without their immediate participation and support, Kyiv will not dare to enter Russian territory," Patrushev continued.

The Kremlin's "Cold War Fighter" statement implies Ukraine's first recognized attack on Russian sovereign territory since Moscow sent its troops to Ukraine in 2022 carries a high risk of escalation.

" Washington's efforts have created all prerequisites for Ukraine to lose its sovereignty and lose part of its territory," Patrushev said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Military Commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday Kyiv had established a military commander's office in the Kursk region of Russia, saying its troops were still advancing, although Moscow forces stepped up its attack on eastern Ukraine.

Although the Ukrainian attack has exposed Russia's defense weaknesses and changed the public narrative about the conflict, Russian officials say what they call Ukraine's "terrorist invasion" will not change the course of war.

Russia has advanced for most of the year in the main eastern sector of the 1.000 km (620 miles) frontline and has a large number of advantages. The country controls 18 percent of Ukraine.

So far the US has seen the surprise attack as a protective measure that allows Kyiv to use US equipment, officials said in Washington.

However, they also expressed concern about complications as Ukrainian troops advanced to enemy territory.

A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that if Ukraine began seizing Russian villages and other non-military targets using US weapons and vehicles, it could be considered a violation of the limits imposed by Washington, precisely to avoid perceptions of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.