6, saying it had captured over 1,000 square kilometers and dozens of Russian settlements since then.According to Ukrainian soldiers and people close to Syrskyi interviewed by The Economist, the commander-in-chief shared his plans only with a select few military and security officials and discussed them with President Volodymyr Zelensky in one-on-one meetings to maintain maximum operational secrecy.Syrskyi was reportedly considering several scenarios for hitting Russia's weak spots. The Economist wrote that an attack against Bryansk Oblast—lying west of Kursk Oblast, north of Ukraine's Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, and east of the Belarusian border—was also considered.A combined strike against Kursk and Bryansk oblasts were also under discussion, the outlet wrote without revealing further details.The main goal of the operation was to strengthen Kyiv's position in potential negotiations and draw away Russian troops from Donbas, The Economist wrote.