Syrsky: Ukrainian Armed Forces control 100 settlements in Kursk region

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Russian troops have moved about 30,000 soldiers to the Kursk region in an effort to dislodge the Defence Forces. He noted that this number is increasing.

Syrskyi made this statement at the «Ukraine 2024. Independence» forum.

“One of the objectives of the Kursk operation was to distract Russian forces, particularly from the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions,” he said.

The offensive by the Defence Forces has forced the enemy command to withdraw units from some areas and redeploy them to Russia. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine already controls 100 settlements in Russia, which accounts for 1,294 km² of Russian territory. Additionally, there are currently 594 Russian soldiers in captivity.

• However, in the Pokrovsk sector, the Russians are intensifying their efforts and continuing to advance. This part of the front remains the most intense area of the frontline.

Fighting in the Kursk Region

Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region has been ongoing since August 6. On August 12, Ukraine commented on these events for the first time, with Oleksandr Syrskyi stating that Ukraine already controls 24 settlements in Russia.

That same evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the purpose of the offensive in the Kursk region was to protect the Sumy region. Since the beginning of June, Russian forces from the Kursk region have fired more than 2,100 times at the Sumy region.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine does not seek to control the Kursk region and that the offensive was necessary, as Ukraine could not use weapons from its Western partners to drive the Russian military out of the border region.

On August 14, a company of Russian soldiers, about 100 people, surrendered in the Kursk region. This occurred as a result of successful assault operations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Reports indicate that it is challenging for the Russians to fight “when they are commanded by self-righteous people and embezzlers.” Furthermore, the flanks are “covered by Kadyrov’s bandits,” who are abandoning everyone and everything to avoid being captured themselves.