Ukrainian forces have made gains in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, capturing several villages as part of its ongoing cross-border offensive, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report claims that Ukrainian troops advanced in the Glushkovo district on Saturday, near the villages of Tyotkino and Sudzha, citing reports from Ukrainian and Russian sources.
Footage released on September 13 and verified through geolocation confirms Ukrainian troops are now operating in Veseloye, southwest of Glushkovo.
Additionally, Russian military bloggers acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had taken control of Veseloye.
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Reports from Russian military sources indicate that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in several areas, including Obukhovka and Novy Put, between September 13 and 14.
Ukrainian Officials have claimed that the aggressive push into Russian territory has forced Moscow to bolster its military presence in the region.
Ukrainian Pivnich (Northern) operational command spokesperson Vadym Mysnyk said on Saturday that Russia has increased its troop deployment in Kursk Oblast from 11,000 personnel before the incursion in August to an estimated 30,000 to 45,000 now.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministries for comment via email.
On August 6, Kyiv began the operation that appeared to have takenRussian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s allies by surprise. NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance did not receive any warning of Ukraine’s intentions for the push.
The ISW has released an updated map showing the extent of the Ukrainian advance into Kursk, showing the army progressing north compared to last Wednesday.
Institute for the Study of War
On Saturday, Russian forces counterattacked near Lyubimovka and Daryino, with geolocation footage showing Russian infantry from the 810th Marine Brigade advancing into the center of Borki, southeast of Sudzha.
However, the Ukrainian advance north of Sudzha continued, with reports suggesting that Kyiv’s troops had captured the village of Cherkasskoye.
The ISW claimed that Kyiv’s cross-border operation has forced Russia to redeploy troops from the Ukrainian front line to Kursk.
As Ukrainian forces maintain their momentum, Moscow has been compelled to increase troop concentrations in the oblast, with President Volodymyr Zelensky indicating that Russia aims to deploy as many as 70,000 troops to the region.
The ongoing offensive appears to have strategic aims beyond territorial gains. A series of prisoner exchanges between the two countries have followed the incursion.
On September 14, Ukraine and Russia conducted their third prisoner swap since the start of the Kursk campaign, each exchanging 103 prisoners.
Ukrainian officials have suggested that the incursions enhanced Kyiv’s negotiating position in securing the release of prisoners of war.
The ISW also covered reports from Russian military bloggers which surfaced on September 13 that said drone operators and electronic warfare specialists had been killed in battle after being reassigned to infantry units as punishment.
The think tank suggested that Russian commanders are degrading their forces by sending specialized personnel on dangerous frontal assaults.