Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the incursion of Ukrainian forces into the Russian region of Kursk serves a strategic purpose. "We must remember that the Kursk operation serves a strategic purpose," Zelensky said in remarks broadcast by Ukrainian news agency (Ukrinform) Zelensky added that the Kursk operation allowed Ukraine to intensify work on exchanges of prisoners with Russia. "We discussed the Kursk operation separately - we hold our positions there," Zelensky said, speaking about the meeting with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Anatolii Barhylevych. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has seen a noticeable escalation since Aug. 6, when the Ukrainian army announced its successful incursion into Russian territory and advance several kilometers into the border region of Kursk. This marks a new turning point in the ongoing war between the two countries since February 2022. Meanwhile, Russia claims that its forces are inflicting heavy losses on the Ukrainian army along Kursk. Source: Qatar News Agency