Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday that the Ukrainian army is advancing in the Russian Kursk region, following a surprise attack last week. Zelensky stated, "In the Kursk region, we are making further progress. From one to two kilometers in various areas since the beginning of the day. More than 100 additional Russian soldiers have been captured during the same period. This will expedite the return of our young men and women home."
In contrast, the Russian military confirmed on Wednesday that they repelled Ukrainian attacks aimed at pushing deeper into the Kursk region. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Russian forces, supported by aviation, drones, and artillery, "thwarted attempts by hostile mobile groups with armored vehicles to penetrate deeper into Russian territory," inflicting heavy losses on the Ukrainians.
Additionally, a Russian military official asserted on Wednesday that the situation in the Kursk region is under the control of the Russian armed forces, noting that they have completed the encirclement of Ukrainian forces that infiltrated Russian territory. Deputy Head of Military-Political Administration of the Russian Armed Forces, Commander of the "Akhmat" Special Forces, Apti Alaudinov, told TASS: "The situation is under control, we have completed the encirclement of the forces and equipment that entered the Kursk region. We are beginning to close the gaps."
Alaudinov indicated that Russian forces have been actively destroying Ukrainian troops from the very start and added: "Currently, the enemy is suffering severe losses, both in equipment and manpower." The Russian general mentioned that the Ukrainian forces have lost the will to advance in the Kursk axis, stating: "The (enemy) is starting to hide to avoid being eliminated."
The Russian general further noted that Russian forces would soon switch to offensive operations to completely eliminate what remains of the Ukrainian troops. He confirmed that the Ukrainian forces entering the Kursk region aimed to seize the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant by August 11 but were unable to carry out their mission. Alaudinov stated: "We obtained important documents, the complete plans of the operation, the forces, and the scheme; they were planning to seize the nuclear power plant in Kurchatov on August 11, and today is the 14th."
He emphasized the significant destruction of Ukrainian military equipment. He added: "Russian Defense Ministry units are present in the city of Sudzha, enemy forces are present around and in some parts of the city. Fighting occurs every day; the enemy cannot claim that they control Sudzha entirely, as they practically do not control it."
Approximately a thousand Ukrainian soldiers crossed the Russian border in the early hours of August 6 using tanks and armored vehicles. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that the Ukrainian military incursion into Russia has "created a real dilemma" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that U.S. officials are in constant contact with Ukrainians regarding this move. Biden noted that he has been briefed every four to five hours on Ukrainian movements over the past week. The United States has provided billions of dollars in weaponry to Ukraine, primarily for defensive purposes, as Kyiv has been attempting to resist the Russians since February 2022. In May, Biden allowed Kyiv to target military objectives inside Russia with American weapons to support an attack against the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.
