Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday (15) that Ukrainian forces had taken control of the Russian city of Sudzha, more than a week after his forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Kiev forces have been in the city, located 105 kilometers southwest of the city of Kursk, since last Wednesday (7), but this is the first confirmation from the Ukrainian president that his army has captured it.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops had advanced 35 kilometers through Russian defenses since the start of their surprise attack, capturing 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements.
Syrskyi said a military command office had been created in Sudzha “to maintain law and order and meet the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories.”
Sudzha is located next to a Russian gas terminal, a key point for Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to Europe. This has led to speculation that one of Kiev’s aims could be to cut off a lucrative source of funding for Moscow.
Ukraine’s ground incursion has forced tens of thousands of Russians from their homes and put Russia on a disadvantage as it struggles to repel Kiev’s troops.
On Wednesday (14), Ukrainian drones struck four Russian airfields in the largest attack of its kind in the war. A source in Ukraine’s security service told CNN that the attack targeted four bases in the southwestern regions of Kursk and Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed 117 “aircraft-type” drones and four tactical missiles over Kursk and neighboring regions.
Ukraine’s attack — which represents a major failure for the Kremlin — is a notable shift in tactics for Kiev, marking the first time foreign troops have entered Russian territory since World War II.
Russia has withdrawn reserves from key battlefield areas in Ukraine and Russian-occupied Crimea to repel Kiev’s advances, a Ukrainian military commander told CNN on Wednesday.
Here’s what we know about Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory
Source: CNN Brasil
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