Ukraine's military operations in Russia's Kursk region will be carried out within firepower and supply range for strategic concerns, a Chinese military expert said on Tuesday.
Ukrainian forces crossed the Russian border last Tuesday and broke into parts of Russia's Kursk region neighboring Ukraine. Currently, the Ukrainian military holds 28 settlements in the area, according to Alexei Smirnov, the region's acting governor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday confirmed that Ukraine is carrying out an "operation" in the region.
Ukraine's attacks on Russia's border will receive a "worthy response," with the Russian military's primary task being to remove the Ukrainian forces from Russian territories, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
In an interview with China Media Group in Beijing, military expert and commentator Du Wenlong weighed in the further development of the warfares in the Kursk region.
"At present, the Ukrainian army is not pursuing how fast it can fight or how far it may infiltrate. If the attack is carried out further [into Russian territory], various support elements may be prone to great changes. Roughly speaking, the basic intention of the Ukrainian army is to act within the range of firepower. So at present, if the front line can be stabilized and a stalemate is formed, it will stick to Kursk like a piece of glue, which might play a role in the following combat operations," Du said.
Du further analyzed the intentions of the Ukrainian operations.
"If the Ukrainian side deploys five or six brigades in a concentrated way or use West-supplied main battle weapons and equipment to launch powerful combat operations in the direction of Kursk, I'd say it has three intentions. The first is to reduce the frontal pressure. The second is to seek more weapons and equipment and funds from the West. And the third is to boost morale," he said.
Ukraine to operate in Kursk within firepower range for strategic concerns: expert
Ukraine to operate in Kursk within firepower range for strategic concerns: expert
Ukraine to operate in Kursk within firepower range for strategic concerns: expert
Ukraine to operate in Kursk within firepower range for strategic concerns: expert
The multinational automaker Stellantis has temporarily suspended production at its assembly plants in Canada and Mexico in response to the 25 percent U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles.
The company announced the production halt on Thursday, the same day the tariffs on all vehicles imported to the U.S. took effect, fueling widespread concern among industry professionals about potential income losses and growing uncertainty for the sector.
The shutdown will begin on Monday for two weeks at Stellantis' Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. It will last for the entire month of April at its Toluca Assembly Plant in Toluca, Mexico.
As a result, approximately 900 workers at the company's U.S. powertrain and stamping facilities will be temporarily laid off. Around 4,500 workers at Windsor will also be impacted by the production halt. Meanwhile, workers at Toluca will continue to report for work but will not be involved in vehicle production, though they will still be paid.
Stellantis' facility in Toluca has been a fixture since 1968, providing employment for roughly 3,000 people and producing the Jeep Compass and Jeep Wagoneer S. This production pause has raised concerns among both local residents and industry professionals about the future of Mexico's automotive industry.
"There will be an impact. Factory revenues will decrease, and people will lose their income," said Octavio Leyes, a local car dealer.
Guillermo Rosales Zarate, executive president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), echoed these worries.
"We are now in a period of uncertainty, and Mexico's economy, particularly the automotive industry, still faces significant risks," he said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reassured on Friday that the temporary closure of Stellantis' plant in Mexico would not lead to job losses in the country.
She also noted that economic minister Marcelo Ebrard had discussions with Stellantis to gather more details on the situation.
Earlier, the president announced that Ebrard would travel to the U.S. next week to discuss the tariffs' impact on automotive and the steel and aluminum industries, which are not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Although U.S. President Donald Trump initially announced a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, he later agreed to suspend tariffs on products covered by the USMCA.
Stellantis halts production in Canada and Mexico amid U.S. tariffs, raising concerns
