Approximately 10,000 Russian soldiers are engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine controls around 90 sq km, according to Ukraine’s primary military commander.
“We maintain control over about 90 square kilometers in the Hlushkov district of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, and these actions are preemptive measures in response to a potential enemy attack,” Oleksandr Syrskyi stated without further details, in comments released by his office for today’s publication.
The Ukrainian military indicated that operations in this area hindered Russia from deploying a substantial number of its forces to Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting during the ongoing full-scale invasion that started over three years ago.
Mr. Syrskyi’s forces are resisting Russian advances along the frontline, which stretches approximately 1,200 km, where conditions remain challenging, as reported by the Ukrainian military.
While the military asserts that its troops repelled Russian movements toward Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region borders last week, pressure persists in the eastern and northern regions of the country.
The Russian military continues its lethal drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities located further from the front line, prompting Ukraine to enhance its air defense strategies.
According to Ukraine’s military, it currently intercepts about 82% of the Shahed-type drones launched by Russia but requires additional surface-to-air missile systems to protect vital infrastructure and urban areas.
The military stated that the air force is also focusing on developing the use of light aircraft and drone interceptors to counteract Russian assaults, which can include hundreds of drones.
Ukraine also depends on its long-range capabilities to inflict damage on economic and military targets within Russian territory, thereby escalating the costs of the conflict for Moscow.
Between January and May, Ukraine inflicted more than $1.3 billion in direct losses to Russia’s oil refining and fuel production sectors, as well as energy and transport supplies and strategic communications, as reported by the Ukrainian military.
Additionally, it caused at least $9.5 billion in indirect damages through the destabilization of the oil refining sector, logistics disruptions, and the forced closure of enterprises, according to the report.
It remains unclear if the Ukrainian military accounted for the damages caused by its operation “Spider’s Web,” which reportedly harmed Russian warplanes and incurred billions in losses, in its estimations.
Ukraine army chief vows to expand strikes on Russia
Ukraine’s top military commander has pledged to augment the “scale and depth” of strikes against Russia in statements made public on Sunday, asserting that Kyiv will not passively observe while Moscow prolongs its three-year invasion.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled in recent weeks.
The last direct meeting between both parties occurred nearly three weeks ago, with no subsequent talks scheduled.
Russian attacks on Ukraine have resulted in multiple fatalities during this period, including in the capital city of Kyiv, officials confirm.
“We will not merely remain on the defense. This leads to nothing and ultimately causes us to retreat, losing lives and territories,” Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky told reporters, including those from AFP.
Mr. Syrsky declared that Ukraine would persist in its strikes against Russian military targets, which he claimed have proven “effective.”
“Absolutely, we will proceed. We will scale up both the extent and the impact,” he stated.
Throughout the war, Ukraine has executed retaliatory strikes on Russia, targeting energy and military infrastructure located sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the front line.
Kyiv contends that these attacks are a justifiable response to the lethal Russian assaults on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.
In broad-ranging comments, Mr. Syrsky acknowledged that Russia holds some advantages in drone warfare, particularly in the technology of fiber-optic drones that are tethered and challenging to disrupt.
“Regrettably, they have the upper hand in both quantity and range of deployment,” he remarked. He further stated that Ukraine still maintains 90 sq km of territory in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv initiated a daring cross-border incursion last August.
“These are our preemptive measures in reaction to a possible enemy offensive,” he reiterated.
Russia claimed in April that it had achieved full control over the Kursk region and denies any Ukrainian presence there.
Moscow occupies roughly a fifth of Ukraine and asserts that it has annexed four Ukrainian regions since commencing its invasion in 2022—along with Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of intentionally sabotaging a peace agreement to extend its full-scale aggression against the country and to seize additional territory.
Today, the Russian army reported capturing the village of Petrivske in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
Russian forces also launched a barrage of at least 47 drones and three missiles at Ukraine between late Saturday and early Sunday, as per the Ukrainian air force’s report.
At least two individuals were killed in the assaults on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, including a 17-year-old boy, according to the region’s governor.
