Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Ukrainian forces are “strengthening” their positions in Russia’s Kursk region, where they have been conducting a significant ground offensive for over 11 days. This update follows Moscow’s accusations that Ukraine destroyed a crucial bridge over a river in the border area, part of Kyiv’s strategy to disrupt supply lines and troop movements.
Zelenskyy shared on Telegram that Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported an “expansion of stabilized territory” in Kursk. “As of this morning, we have replenished the exchange fund for our country,” Zelenskyy noted, referring to Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine for future prisoner swaps. Kyiv claims to have taken control of over 80 settlements in its recent incursion.
The Russian defense ministry responded by saying they had repelled Ukrainian advances near three settlements in Kursk and were searching for “mobile enemy groups” attempting to advance further.
Also Read | Thai Monarch Approves Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Appointment as Prime Minister
Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing towards the strategic Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Battlefield maps show that Russian troops, having captured several nearby villages and advanced along a railway line, are now approximately 8 miles from Pokrovsk. The city’s capture would bring Russia closer to its goal of seizing the entire Donetsk region. Pokrovsk, with a prewar population of about 60,000, is a critical defensive position protecting the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk.
Also Read | Global South Summit in India Welcomed 123 Countries; China and Pakistan Left Out
The military administration of Pokrovsk has advised residents to evacuate, though no formal evacuation order has been issued. “The enemy is rapidly approaching the outskirts of Pokrovsk,” said Serhii Dobriak, head of the city’s military administration. “Evacuation is underway in the community. Don’t delay!”
