Russian offensive to regain Sudzha in Kursk Oblast from Ukraine

Reports indicate that Russia has entered the Ukraine-held area of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast, although Kyiv has yet to confirm this development.

On March 12, reports emerged from the DeepState monitoring group, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and the Russian state news agency TASS, indicating that Russian troops have initiated an offensive against the Ukrainian-controlled town of Sudzha, located in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Reports indicate that Russian forces have advanced into the eastern region of Sudzha and are fortifying their positions. A Russian state media outlet, TASS, has released what it claims to be drone footage of the town, asserting that Russian troops have made their way into the town center.

Analysts from ISW have indicated that Russian forces are making progress within Sudzha and in the vicinity of the town, particularly near the settlements of Kazachya Loknya, Yuzhny, Kubatkino, and Ivashkovskyi, as well as along the border in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.

The assertions could not be promptly substantiated. The Kyiv Independent has reached out to the Ukrainian military command in Kursk Oblast for a response and has been assured that an official statement will be forthcoming.

Sudzha sits a mere 10 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, while the regional capital, Kursk, is positioned 85 kilometers to the northeast.

The assault comes in the wake of Moscow’s attempts to encircle the Ukrainian salient. On March 11, the Russian Defense Ministry asserted that its forces had regained control of 12 settlements and an area of 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) in Kursk Oblast.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, has stated that there is currently no imminent danger of encirclement, as Ukrainian troops are adjusting their positions to establish “favorable defense lines.”

Syrskyi pointed out that several of the settlements that Russia asserts to have regained “no longer exist” as a result of Russian shelling.

In August 2024, Ukraine executed a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast, managing to capture approximately 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian land.

In the region, Russian forces have been bolstered by the deployment of North Korean troops, which occurred last autumn in response to Ukraine’s military activities.

Worries regarding the circumstances in Kursk Oblast have intensified following reports of Russian progress.