By KYIV, Ukraine – Ukrainian forces have reportedly advanced further into Russia’s southern Kursk region, just a week after launching a bold cross-border incursion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday that his troops have already captured dozens of Russian soldiers and destroyed a Russian fighter jet as part of the operation, which has shocked international observers and intensified the ongoing conflict.
In a video call with Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskyy detailed the progress made by his forces, stating that they had advanced 1 to 2 kilometers in various areas within the Kursk region since the beginning of the day.
“We are advancing in the Kursk region, 1 to 2 kilometers in various areas since the beginning of the day,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Kyiv’s forces now control over 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian territory as a result of their surprise assault.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that 100 Russian servicemen had been captured during the operation. “This will accelerate the return of our guys and girls,” he added, indicating that the capture of these soldiers could potentially be used as leverage in negotiations for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Earlier, video footage obtained by AFP at the Ukrainian border crossing between the Sumy region and Russia’s Kursk region showed a Ukrainian truck carrying blindfolded men in Russian military uniforms traveling away from the Russian border.
The footage has yet to be independently verified, and CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment.
A Ukrainian official explained that the operation in Kursk is aimed at creating a “security zone” on Russian soil. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s minister for the reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, stated that the operation is designed to protect the border regions of Ukraine, particularly the Sumy region, which has been a target of persistent Russian shelling and missile strikes.
Russia has reportedly pulled reserves from key battleground areas in Ukraine, including the occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia, Crimea, and Kharkiv, to reinforce its defenses in Kursk.
A Ukrainian military source told CNN that this redeployment suggests the Kremlin is struggling to maintain its positions amid the Ukrainian advance.
“This operation marks a major embarrassment for the Kremlin,” military analyst Andriy Kholod commented, noting that Russia’s inability to repel Ukrainian forces from its own territory could have significant implications for the conflict’s future trajectory.
Commander Dmytro Kholod, leading Ukraine’s “Nightingale” battalion, told CNN that Ukrainian forces had received intelligence indicating that Russian soldiers were being pulled from various fronts to counter the incursion.
Kholod added that his battalion had been involved in the capture of Russian troops and the destruction of Russian military assets during the operation.
The Ukrainian advance into Russian territory represents a significant escalation in the conflict, challenging Moscow’s military capabilities and raising questions about the Kremlin’s response.
As Kyiv’s forces continue to push forward, the situation remains fluid, with the potential for further developments that could reshape the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war.
CNN
