Ukrainian troops had repelled an attack by Russian sabotage and assault groups that used a gas pipeline to gain a foothold on the outskirts of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff reported on March 8, releasing footage of the engagement.
The announcement came amid reports that Russian forces had made a breakthrough south of the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha and tried to breach the Russia-Ukraine border in Sumy Oblast earlier this week. Ukrainian troops fighting in Kurks Oblast told the Kyiv Independent on March 7 that Russia had destroyed their supply chains for ammunition and food, and they faced encirclement.
After Ukrainian airborne assault troops spotted the Russian forces, they launched missile, artillery, and drones to stop the assault, the General Staff said.
"At the moment, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. Enemy losses in the Sudzha area are very heavy," the military claimed on the evening of March 8.
Ukrainian troops repelled 44 Russian attacks in Kursk Oblast over the past day, the General Staff said in its latest update on March 9.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The press service for Kursk military command told the Kyiv Independent on March 8 that "the most large-scale" Russian assault operations have occurred in the direction from the settlement of Korenevo toward Sudzha, as well as in the areas of Novoivanovka, Malaya Loknya, and south of Sudzha.
The Ukrainian military described the situation as "difficult" but under control, saying that Russia involved North Korean soldiers in the attack.
Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024. After six months of fighting in the region, Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region, the Russian military claimed.
Kyiv has sought to maintain its position in the Russian border region as leverage for possible peace talks.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
