Ukrainian Forces capture three more villages in swift offensive in Russia's Kursk region
Russian media and military correspondents are now reporting a significant push by Ukrainian forces into the "isolated" sector of Russia’s Kursk region, capturing at least three villages in the span of a day.
The Ukrainian forces (AFU) are intensifying their assaults to the south of the Seym River. This territory has been effectively cut off from the rest of the Kursk region after Ukrainian troops demolished all three bridges in this area. As of Monday noon, combat activities were reported on a sector that had been entirely under Russian control as recently as mid-last week. Reports from Russian, Ukrainian, and independent monitors, analyzed by the news outlet Agentstvo.Novosti, suggest that Ukrainian forces likely entered three villages within the past 24 hours.
On Sunday evening, Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState confirmed that Ukrainian forces had entered the villages of Snagost and Apanasovka in Korenevsky District and Otruby in Glushkovsky District. Prior to this, a video featuring Ukrainian troops within Apanasovka was posted on social media by the 501st separate battalion of the Ukrainian Marine Corps. A well-known Russian blog, "Military Informant," verified the video's Apanasovka location. Furthermore, Russian military blog "Paratrooper’s Diary" reported that Ukrainian forces had also taken Troitskoye, situated south of Snagosti, right on the Ukrainian border.
The expansion of the conflict area has been confirmed by Russia's Ministry of Defense. By Sunday afternoon, Ukrainian troops had reportedly attacked Komarovka, situated to the west of Snagost and Apanasovka. According to NASA’s fire monitoring system, clashes were also confirmed further south, near the village of Kulbaki.
Ukrainian forces have made advancements from the western side of Glushkovsky District as well. DeepState data indicates that they now control 11 square kilometers. The Ukrainian military has managed to extend the combat zone from the western border up to 3.5 kilometers into Russian territory towards Tetkino and Byrdina, according to DeepState and NASA data analysis. Analysis by the Ministry of Defense, "Rybar," DeepState, and NASA reveals that uncontested territory south of the Seym River has shrunk from 700 square kilometers to 550 square kilometers since Friday.
Currently, the area in the Kursk region embroiled in combat exceeds 1350 square kilometers. DeepState reports that about 1200 square kilometers of that is an active combat zone, with half under Ukrainian control. Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have focused on striking the bridges across the Seym River in Glushkovsky District to isolate Russian troops in the southern part of the district from the rest of the territory. The Russian military has had to resort to constructing at least one pontoon bridge near Glushkovo.