Ukrainian troops have taken control of 100 settlements in Russia’s border region of Kursk, where Kyiv launched an “operation” three weeks ago, according to Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Speaking at the Ukraine 2024 Independence forum in Kyiv, Syrskyi announced that Ukrainian forces have captured 1,294 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory, including 100 settlements. He credited the operation with significantly increasing Ukraine’s exchange fund by capturing 594 Russian servicemen.
The operation in Kursk aims to create a buffer zone to prevent shelling in Ukraine’s adjacent Sumy region, and Ukrainian troops continue to advance. Syrskyi noted that Russia has responded by relocating about 30,000 troops to the Kursk region from other fronts, although forces remain concentrated on the Pokrovsk front in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where the situation remains difficult.
The offensive in the Kursk region began on the night of August 5-6, when Ukrainian forces entered the area near the town of Sudzha, approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border.
