By Ezekiel David
On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces advanced further into Russia’s Kursk region, with Kyiv aiming to establish a buffer zone to shield its border areas from Russian attacks. The surprise offensive, which began last week, has temporarily shifted the momentum in a conflict where Russian forces had been making steady gains since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed the situation with top officials, considering the creation of military administrations in the occupied area, which Ukraine claims now exceeds 1,000 square kilometres. Zelenskiy reported progress of one to two kilometres in various areas of the Kursk region and the capture of over 100 Russian prisoners of war.
Russia responded by intensifying its strikes, claiming to have downed 117 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly in the Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod, and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Russian forces also reportedly repelled Ukrainian attacks within the Kursk region, with officials asserting that the front lines have been stabilised.
The conflict has led to the evacuation of around 200,000 people from Russia’s border zone, with Ukraine promising to open humanitarian corridors for civilians to evacuate in either direction. Ukraine also plans to facilitate access for international humanitarian organisations.
The incursion presents significant risks for all parties involved. While the US maintains regular contact with Kyiv, Washington has denied prior knowledge or involvement in the offensive. Moscow, however, insists that Ukraine’s Western backers were aware of the attack, which could leave Ukrainian forces vulnerable on other fronts where Russia has been slowly expanding its control.
(Source: Reuters)