Ukrainian troops are in control of 92 settlements and more than 1,250 square kilometers of Kursk Oblast in Russia as the incursion into the region continues, Zelensky said on Monday.
Kyiv’s unprecedented operation is ongoing for two weeks, with the Ukrainian military capturing the town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast and allegedly destroyed all three bridges over the Seim River near the border.
Speaking at a meeting in the city of Dnipro, the president stated that Ukraine continues to strengthen its positions, stabilize “certain areas” and continues to take Russian soldiers as POWs.
“This operation has become our largest investment in the process of releasing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in one operation,” he added, without elaborating.
Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the Kursk incursion.
Zelensky noted that “hundreds” of Russian soldiers had been captured as of Aug. 13, while an undisclosed Ukrainian colonel has claimed that the number may be as high as 2,000.
The Russian border near Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast has been “largely cleared” of the Russian soldiers, which Zelensky called one of the tactical goals of Kyiv’s incursion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukraine will receive a proper response. Russia stated that Kiev has made a “conscious decision” to end the possibility of peace talks with Moscow by launching its incursion into Kursk Region.
