Kyiv Claims Control of Over 380 Square Miles of Russian Territory

On August 13, reports indicated that Ukraine’s Armed Forces have made significant territorial gains in Russia’s western Kursk region during a week-long ground offensive. According to Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian military, the operation has resulted in the capture of over 380 square miles of Russian territory.

This update came during a briefing attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking the first official acknowledgment from Kyiv regarding the incursion that began on August 6 from Sumy province. Syrskyi stated in a video report that Ukraine currently controls approximately 1,000 square kilometers (or 386 square miles) of Russian land. He noted ongoing hostilities along the entire front line, emphasizing that the situation remains under Ukrainian control.

President Zelensky described the situation as an “operation,” asserting that the territories being targeted were those from which Russian forces had launched extensive artillery strikes against eastern Ukraine. He highlighted that the Sumy region has endured almost 2,100 shelling incidents since June 1, underpinning the urgent need for Ukraine to secure its borders.

Zelensky framed the military operations as essential for Ukraine’s security, stating, “These areas are crucial since they have been used by the Russian army to attack our Sumy region. Therefore, our operations are purely a security matter for Ukraine, aiming to liberate the border region from Russian military forces.” He suggested that taking the offensive could actually help pave the way toward peace, insisting that Russia must be compelled to negotiate if President Vladimir Putin continues to pursue warfare.

Despite the Ukrainian claims, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) offered a more conservative assessment of the territorial gains, suggesting that Ukrainian forces had covered around 310 square miles, and that they did not fully control all captured areas. The ISW noted that Russian forces had also managed to occupy an additional 454 square miles of Ukrainian territory in the previous months, through both persistent Ukrainian defenses and aggressive offensives in Kharkiv province.

In a response to the incursion, President Putin condemned the action as a significant provocation during a meeting with security, defense, and local officials. He asserted that Russian forces would “kick the enemy out of our territory,” and accused Ukraine of committing crimes against Russian citizens during the insurgency. He warned that Russian forces would provide a “worthy response” to Ukraine’s actions.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it had successfully thwarted further Ukrainian advances into the Kursk region, citing the deployment of reinforcements and aerial attacks. They also asserted that they had regained control over the situation. However, a well-known military blogger associated with the Kremlin contradicted this narrative, indicating that Russian forces were struggling to regain control due to significant issues with leadership and coordination.

During the meeting where Putin addressed the situation, he also announced a restructuring of responsibilities among Russia’s defense ministry, Federal Security Service, and national guard concerning the border area. The ISW speculated that the reorganization hints at ongoing challenges in Russian command and control capabilities concerning the Kursk operation.

Putin reprimanded local officials for using terminology such as “alarming” and “very difficult” regarding the security situation, instructing them to focus on socio-economic matters instead of military concerns. He also attempted to reframe the context of Ukraine’s offensive as a miscalculated maneuver to enhance its position in potential peace negotiations, arguing that Russia could not engage in good faith talks while facing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

On August 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reiterated its commitment to following through on Putin’s orders, claiming to have regained the initiative in Kursk, while asserting substantial losses inflicted on Ukrainian forces, reported at 1,610 military personnel, along with damage to tanks and armored vehicles. Maj. Gen. Apty Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat Special Forces, declared on state television that Russian troops had regained control of the situation in Kursk and were conducting operations to eliminate remaining Ukrainian forces from residential areas.