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Ukrainian troops still hold positions in Russia’s Kursk region, commander says
Ukrainian forces continue to hold several positions inside Russia’s Kursk region, according to General Dmytro Voloshyn .
Voloshyn, who commands the 8th Air Assault Corps, described the situation in detail in an interview with BBC Ukraine. He said Ukrainian units are present in the area of the settlement of Novyi Put, where they control several wooded areas. Voloshyn added that Ukrainian troops also hold ground near the settlement of Polytotdelsky and in a nearby forest.
“These are small, isolated areas in the Kursk region, but they are still there,” Voloshyn said. He emphasized that Ukrainian presence is limited to a few positions.
Voloshyn said that about a year ago, Russian forces made more determined efforts to drive Ukrainian troops out, deploying significant reinforcements. However, after suffering losses, Russia abandoned these attempts. “The Russians were more aggressive and wanted to push us out of these positions. They left a large number of their personnel there and gave up on that objective,” he said. Ukrainian forces, according to Voloshyn, have not tried to advance further in that sector since then, as their resources are needed elsewhere.
Currently, Voloshyn said, Russian troops are attempting to establish a so-called buffer zone along the Ukrainian border and are probing for weak points in Ukrainian defenses. He identified the city of Sumy as Russia’s main target along this axis. “The Russians are trying to create a ‘buffer zone’ here, looking for vulnerabilities, but it hasn’t worked. Their main goal, of course, is the city of Sumy,” Voloshyn said.
Earlier, representatives of the partisan group ATESH claimed responsibility for destroying three communication towers that Russian troops had been using to relay classified information and coordinate units in the region.
Russian media reported that more than 70 Russian conscripts were killed during the fighting in the Kursk region.
