Russia Says It Has Retaken Key Kursk Town From Ukraine
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Ukrainian officials have not confirmed a retreat from the town in Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were captured by Kyiv’s forces last summer.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that the military had regained full control of the town of Sudzha, the main population center in the part of the Kursk region of Russia that Ukrainian troops had captured last summer.
Ukrainian officials have not confirmed a retreat from the town, where the previous night Kyiv’s military had reported fierce fighting. If confirmed, that would leave only small pockets of Russian land along the border under Ukrainian control — and could deny Kyiv a key point of leverage in any cease-fire negotiations as U.S. officials head to Moscow for talks.
Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Wednesday night that Ukrainian troops would “hold the line in the Kursk region for as long as it remains reasonable and necessary.”
Russian advances
Russian-claimed advances
Ukrainian-held territory
Russia claimed it had taken Sudzha, the main Ukrainian outpost in Kursk.
RUSSIA
Korenevo
Glushkovo
Snagost
Sudzha
Guyevo
UKRAINE
Detail
UKRAINE
Sumy
5 miles
Russian advances
Russian-claimed advances
Ukrainian-held territory
RUSSIA
Russia claimed it had taken Sudzha, the main Ukrainian outpost in Kursk.
Glushkovo
Snagost
Sudzha
Guyevo
UKRAINE
Detail
Sumy
UKRAINE
5 miles
Parts of the Kursk region have been under Ukrainian control since August, when Ukraine’s military mounted a surprise cross-border offensive and quickly captured approximately 500 square miles of land, including the town of Sudzha.
At the time, the move was seen as an attempt to stretch Russian forces thin across multiple fronts, especially as Ukrainian forces were steadily losing ground elsewhere on their own territory. Holding Russian territory was also seen as a potential bargaining chip for Ukraine in any eventual cease-fire talks.
Russia made steady progress in Kursk over the past week
Russian advances
Russian-claimed advances
Ukrainian-held territory
MARCH 6
MARCH 10
MARCH 12
RUSSIA
RUSSIA
Korenevo
Korenevo
Korenevo
RUSSIA
Snagost
Snagost
Snagost
Sudzha
Sudzha
Sudzha
Guyevo
Guyevo
Guyevo
UKRAINE
UKRAINE
UKRAINE
Sumy
Sumy
Russia made steady progress in Kursk
over the past week
Russian advances
Russian-claimed advances
Ukrainian-held territory
MARCH 6
RUSSIA
Korenevo
Snagost
Sudzha
UKRAINE
Guyevo
MARCH 10
Korenevo
RUSSIA
Snagost
Sudzha
UKRAINE
Guyevo
MARCH 12
Korenevo
RUSSIA
Snagost
Sudzha
UKRAINE
Guyevo