Russia claims recapturing villages in Ukrainian-held parts of Kursk
- 9 March, 16:13
Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday announced its forces reclaimed several villages and encircled several Ukrainian troops in its Kursk region where Ukrainians had captured swathes of lands in August. Russia also claimed it captured territory in cross-border offensive in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Russia’s fresh counter-attack in Kursk came days after Donald Trump suspended military aid, intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Last week Russian and North Korean troops resumed an attack on a Ukrainian-controlled pocket inside Kursk. There have been unconfirmed reports about the capture of Ukrainian troops. Ukraine has sought to hold swathes of lands in Russia’s as a bargaining chip in peace negotiations with the Kremlin.
Ukraine’s General Staff on Saturday confirmed reports that Russian special forces had used an underground gas pipe to reach the outskirts of the Ukrainian-held Sudzha town in Kursk region. Russia announced the recapture of the village of Lebedevka in Kursk, bringing its troops closer to taking back Sudzha, about 10 kilometres away.
Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s border Kursk region last August, seizing swathes of territory as a buffer zone. But since then, Russia has taken back more than two-thirds of the territory. The crucial supply road between Sudzha and Ukraine’s Sumy region is under constant Russian fire.
