Russia said on Tuesday that its troops had made major new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging to a slice of Russian territory since last August.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
According to the Defence Ministry, Russia had recaptured a dozen settlements and more than 100 square kilometers of territory in its latest thrust, which follows a sharp worsening of Ukraine’s position in the past few days.
Yuri Podolyaka, a pro-Moscow military blogger whose Telegram channel has more than 3 million followers, reported that Russian forces had taken control of the outskirts of the town of Sudzha, near the border with Ukraine, and that Ukrainian troops were pulling back into their own territory.
Losing its hard-won foothold in Kursk would deal a major blow to Ukraine at a critical moment, as former U.S. President Donald Trump piles heavy pressure on Kyiv to agree to end the war quickly.
Ukraine’s shock seizure of a chunk of Russian land last August—the first invasion of Russian soil since Nazi Germany attacked in 1941—provided its forces with a huge morale boost at the time and dealt an embarrassing blow to President Vladimir Putin and his commanders.
Kyiv had hoped to use Kursk as a bargaining chip to get back some of its own captured territory.
Reuters could not independently confirm the latest battlefield accounts because of reporting restrictions at the frontlines.
Ukraine’s top general on Monday denied that Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk were at risk of encirclement. General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the situation was under control but indicated that Ukrainian forces had been pulling back.
“The units are taking timely measures to maneuver to advantageous positions for defense,” he said.
