Russia announced on Thursday that it is on the verge of clearing Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, where they have held territory for more than seven months. The Russian Defence Ministry reported the capture of three more settlements, including the strategic town of Sudzha near the Ukrainian border. This area had previously served as a supply route for Kyiv’s forces.
Remaining Ukrainian positions are now under intense bombardment by Russian troops, according to the ministry. However, Ukraine’s top army commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, asserted on Wednesday that Kyiv’s forces would continue their operations in Kursk as long as necessary. He confirmed that fighting persists in and around Sudzha.
Russian war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, reporting from Sudzha, described the town as being under constant artillery fire but noted that “focal resistance has been suppressed.”
Ukraine had initially shocked the world on August 6 last year by crossing the border and capturing territory in the Kursk region, which Kyiv hoped to use as leverage in peace negotiations. However, Russian forces, bolstered by North Korean troops, have been steadily regaining control. Their efforts have culminated in what appears to be a final offensive, coinciding with U.S. attempts to secure a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing three-year conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, clad in combat fatigues, visited Kursk on Wednesday and directed his commanders to complete the mission swiftly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the operation would continue as long as necessary to save lives, but expressed confidence that the Kursk region would soon be fully “liberated.”
Footage from Sudzha, shared by Russian media and military bloggers, revealed the devastation caused by months of conflict, including destroyed vehicles, collapsed buildings, and widespread rubble. Regional governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that 120 Russian civilians had been evacuated from the town.
Reuters has not independently verified the battlefield accounts provided by either side.