Ukrainian troops have strengthened positions and expanded territory in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says, nearly two weeks into their incursion.
Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements more than 1150 square kilometres in Kursk since August 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War II.
Zelenskiy said his army chief Oleksander Syrskyi had reported that Ukrainian troops continued their advance and also took more Russian servicemen as prisoners.
“Thank you to all the soldiers and commanders who are taking Russian military prisoners and bringing the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer,” Zelenskiy said in a statement on Telegram.
“General Syrskyi also reported on strengthening our forces’ positions in the Kursk region and expanding the stabilised territory.”
The Ukrainian military said in its daily report that troops were successfully advancing further in Kursk, without offering more details. It had previously reported 35km of advances.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments.
Russia has called the incursion a major provocation and vowed to retaliate with a “worthy response”, more than two-and-a-half years since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow says Ukraine has been using Western arms, including probably US-made HIMARS rockets to destroy a bridge over the Seym River and kill volunteers trying to evacuate civilians.
Zelenskiy also said Ukrainian troops had repelled dozens of Russian attacks near Pokrovsk and Toretsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
The military said 51 Russian attacks were stopped near Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub in the eastern region, and another 13 near the town of Toretsk in the past 24 hours.
“Our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the assaults.
The situation is under control,” Zelenskiy said.
Source Agencies
