Russian forces have recaptured 12 settlements and 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) in Kursk Oblast previously held by Ukrainian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 11.
The Ukrainian military has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
The statement comes after Moscow launched a new offensive in the Russian border region, reportedly achieving a breakthrough south of the key town of Sudzha in an effort to encircle the Ukrainian salient.
Russia recaptured the settlements of Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovsky, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhailovka, Pravda, and Yuzhny in recent military operations, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
The DeepState monitoring group confirmed significant territorial losses on Ukraine's part in Kursk Oblast since Russia launched its offensive last week.
Russian troops and their North Korean allies have also reportedly begun launching attacks in the Sudzha area. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed that there is currently no threat of encirclement as Ukrainian troops are moving to "favorable defense lines."
Syrskyi added that some of the settlements Russia claims to have retaken "no longer exist" as they have been destroyed by Russian fire.
Ukraine's commander-in-chief added that he had decided to reinforce Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast with "the necessary forces and means," including electronic warfare and drones.
Concerns about the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast, ongoing since August 2024, have mounted over the weekend amid reports of Russian advances. The development came shortly after the U.S. cut off military and intelligence support for Ukraine, allegedly to push Kyiv to the negotiating table.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
