Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces have taken control of the Russian town of Sudzha, over a week after his forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Two-and-a-half years into the war between Ukraine and Russia, there seem to be no signs that the conflict can be resolved anytime in the near future even though the UN has called for peace.
Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces have taken full control of Sudzha, the largest Russian town captured since the start of their cross-border incursion on August 6. Sudzha, with a prewar population of about 5,000, is the administrative center of Russia’s Kursk region.
Zelenskyy has said one of the reasons for the incursion was to protect neighboring Ukrainian regions. “The more Russian military presence is destroyed in the border regions, the closer peace and real security will be for our state. The Russian state must be responsible for what it has done,” he said Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader indicated that Ukraine is setting up a military command office in Sudzha, hinting at a possible long-term presence in the region or signaling such intentions to Moscow.
He also mentioned plans to distribute humanitarian aid to the town’s residents.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) through Russian defenses since the start of their surprise assault, capturing 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements.
Ukraine’s capture of Sudzha, near a key Russian gas terminal, has sparked speculation that Kyiv aims to disrupt a significant source of revenue for Moscow.
The ongoing ground incursion has displaced tens of thousands of Russians and caught Russia off guard as it struggles to counter Ukraine’s advance.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones targeted four Russian airfields in the largest drone attack of the war, hitting bases in Kursk, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod.
Russia claimed to have destroyed 117 drones and four missiles in response.
Ukraine’s actions represent a significant shift in tactics, marking the first time since World War II that foreign troops have entered Russian territory, dealing a major embarrassment to the Kremlin.
The Kursk incursion by Ukrainian forces stands out for its scale, speed, and the involvement of experienced Ukrainian brigades, with around 10,000 troops participating, according to Western analysts. This marks the first time foreign troops have invaded and held Russian territory since World War II. Despite Russian reserves slowing the Ukrainian advance, there is concern that Moscow may need to redirect troops from front-line positions in eastern Ukraine to defend Kursk, potentially weakening its efforts in the Donetsk region.
As Ukrainian forces make gains in Kursk, Russian troops are closing in on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, prompting evacuation warnings. The U.S. has observed some Russian troop movements to Kursk but notes that more forces may be needed to repel the Ukrainian incursion. The Pentagon has indicated that U.S. support to Ukraine remains unchanged despite the new developments.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian mechanized groups continue to test Russian defenses, and satellite images confirm damage to Russian air bases from Ukrainian drone attacks, affecting at least two hangars.
As of Thursday, the Ukrainian military claimed to be holding more than 80 towns and settlements in the Kursk region.
Kursk’s acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, on Thursday ordered the evacuation of the Glushkovo region, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Sudzha. The order suggests Ukrainian forces were gradually advancing toward the area.