Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug 20: In a strategic push to create a buffer zone inside Russian territory, Ukraine has destroyed a third bridge over the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region. The latest strike targeted the village of Karyzh overnight, following the destruction of two other key crossings on Friday and Saturday, according to Russian officials.
Ukrainian forces, advancing from their newly established position around the town of Sudzha, aim to encircle Russian troops, including conscripts, trapped south of the river in the Korenevsky district. If successful, this operation could see Ukraine gaining control over an additional 700 square kilometers of Russian territory.
As the offensive continues, Ukraine has captured two more villages, Snagost and Apanasovka. However, progress has slowed as Russian forces scramble to reinforce their positions, complicating Ukraine’s broader efforts to relieve pressure on the embattled city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has framed the incursion as a defensive measure to protect Ukraine’s border regions from further Russian attacks, urging international allies to accelerate weapons deliveries.
Despite Ukraine’s advances in Kursk, Russian forces have been making gains in eastern Ukraine, capturing the town of Niu-York and inching closer to Pokrovsk, threatening to further destabilize the region. As the conflict intensifies, the possibility of peace negotiations remains distant, with Moscow rejecting talks in response to Ukraine’s continued military actions.