Ukraine’s top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces have taken control of 100 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region during a three-week incursion. The operation, which marks a significant escalation in the conflict, has reportedly diverted substantial Russian resources from other fronts.
Speaking via video link in a televised address, General Syrskyi provided a detailed update on the military situation, highlighting both successes and challenges faced by Ukrainian forces. He emphasized the strategic importance of the Kursk operation in disrupting Russian military plans.
“The Kursk operation diverted a significant number of its forces,” Syrskyi stated, noting that Russian troops had been redeployed from Ukraine’s south. “As of now, we can say that around 30,000 servicemen have been sent to the Kursk front and this figure is growing.”
In a surprising revelation, Syrskyi disclosed that Ukrainian forces had captured 594 Russian servicemen during the Kursk operation, the first time such a specific figure has been made public.
However, the general also warned of intensifying Russian efforts on the eastern Pokrovsk front, where Ukrainian forces face mounting pressure. “The situation on the Pokrovsk front is fairly difficult,” Syrskyi admitted. “The enemy is using its advantage in personnel, weapons and military equipment, it is actively using artillery and aviation.”
Pokrovsk, a coal mining city, holds strategic military value as a crucial transport hub. Syrskyi reported that Russian forces are attempting to disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines to the front near Pokrovsk, underlining the critical nature of the ongoing battles in the region.
Despite these challenges, Syrskyi asserted that Ukrainian forces continue to repel Russian counterattacks in the Kursk region, where Moscow’s troops have been trying to encircle the advancing Ukrainian units.
