Ukraine Says It’s Made Further Gains After Incursion Into Russia
BloombergAUG 20 2024
Despite Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region, Russian forces are "maintaining their relatively high offensive tempo" in Ukraine's east, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in their latest report on Thursday.
Since Ukraine launched its surprise offensive last week, it is estimated that it advanced as far as 22 miles (35 km) into Russian territory. On Thursday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces claimed full control over the Russian town of Sudzha — roughly six miles (10 km) from the international border. It's strategic in that it houses a Russian terminal that supplies gas to Europe via Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking to CNN on Thursday, said that Russia appeared to have diverted a number of troops from Ukraine to counter Ukraine's Kursk operation. However, he added that this did not mean Russia gave up its military aspirations in Ukraine, stating that active fighting is still ongoing.