August 2024: Ukrainian offensive 6 August On 6 August 2024, Russia reportedly deployed air and artillery forces to counter a Ukrainian border incursion in
Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian fighters, equipped with tanks and armored vehicles, crossed into Russian territory. The Russian Ministry of Defense responded by sending troops and aviation units to the area. According to Russia, the incursion involved around 300 Ukrainian troops, 11 tanks, and over 20
armored combat vehicles, and was aimed in two directions: at
Oleshnya in the direction of
Sudzha, east-northeast of
Sumy, and towards
Nikolayevo-Darino, north-northeast of Sumy. It was reported that Chechen
Akhmat battalions were responding to the raids, The attack began at 08:00
MSK. A statement by Russian forces on
Telegram at around 18:20, claiming that they had pushed the Ukrainians back across the border, and inflicted significant losses through artillery, air strikes, and drones, was later edited by them to imply fighting was ongoing. Moscow released videos purportedly showing Ukrainian tanks being targeted from the air. Social media footage suggested Russian warplanes operated at low altitudes over Kursk Oblast to repel the attack.
Alexei Smirnov, acting
governor of Kursk Oblast, reported that three people died during the events: a woman in the border incursion and two individuals in separate drone attacks. Russian
milbloggers also largely dismissed the supposed raids as "unsuccessful" and a "media stunt". According to Andrzej Wilk of the
Centre for Eastern Studies, the entire Ukrainian grouping, including some elements which did not cross over into Russia, consisted of an estimated 2,000 men from Ukraine's
22nd and
82nd Brigades, supported by artillery and air defense sub-units. It was later claimed by members of the Ukrainian military that the breakthrough on the border was conducted by the 80th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades. Kursk Oblast was placed under a
state of emergency by governor Smirnov. Gerasimov told Putin that about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers took part in the attack and that their advance had been halted. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian lieutenant claimed that 300 Russian soldiers had been captured in the "Kursk People's Republic" during two days; he referred to the Ukrainian forces operating there as "a contingent of unidentified armed formations". Ukrainian MP
Oleksiy Goncharenko reported that Ukrainian forces had captured the Sudzha gas hub which feeds the
Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline into the rest of Europe. Additionally, there were reports of fighting in , a village from the border. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces had reached the village of
Darino.
8 August RIA Novosti reported that four people died as a result of 'attacks' by the
AFU in the oblast Ukrainian forces were in control of the western part of Sudzha and the surrounding roads; skirmishes continued in the town. According to Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, six Ukrainian drones and five missiles were shot down during the night and morning. talks with
Alexei Smirnov, the acting
governor of Kursk, about the situation regarding the Ukrainian incursion. 8 August 2024. Reports claimed that the combat zone had expanded to 430 square kilometers, and claimed that Ukrainian forces entered the settlement of and had taken control of the villages of , , and . Skirmishes took place in the village of
Snagost. Ukrainian troops were present in areas 35 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
9 August Reports claimed that Ukrainian troops had captured around 100–200 square kilometers of territory, at a depth of around 10 kilometers on average. Based on independent and own analyses,
CNN put the area of territory over which Russia had lost control at 250square kilometers at least. A convoy of Russian troops was reportedly destroyed in a
HIMARS strike in the village of
Oktyabrskoye while moving along the route connecting
Glushkovsky District and
Kursk and passing through
Rylsky and
Lgovsky districts. Footage of the aftermath showed 15 burned military trucks, with some bodies inside. A Russian Telegram channel wrote: "They were armed, most likely a platoon per vehicle. 3-4 companies – an entire battalion was destroyed. Judging by the appearance of the column, about half were killed. This is one of the bloodiest and most massive strikes (most likely Himars) in the entire war."
Apti Alaudinov, the commander of the Chechen Akhmat units that had been stationed in Belgorod and Kursk since the last incursion, informed Russian media that he and his forces did not engage Ukrainian troops as they passed their positions, instead opting to retreat until more Russian reinforcements could arrive, while some Russian milbloggers claimed they fled from the battle. Alaudinov had at that point in time been the only Russian commander to admit that Ukrainian forces were in control of settlements along the border. continued to arrive near the frontline in Kursk Oblast, where fighting persisted over
Sudzha. Combat markings showed that Russian command was transferring battle-hardened troops to Kursk Oblast as reinforcement. The head of the
Kurchatov municipal administration, Igor Korpunkov, reported that the fighting was taking place 30 kilometers from
Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Authorities blocked all access to the nuclear plant, construction workers at the site left the area, and equipment at the plant was deenergized.
Rosatom announced a temporary reduction in the number of personnel at the site. Around 15:00, an explosion was heard in Kurchatov.
Russian NBC Protection Troops were also deployed to protect the plant. Governor of Kursk Oblast Alexey Smirnov reported that a fire started in one of the districts as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a transformer substation. As a result of the UAV attack, Kurchatov, as well as parts of the
Kurchatovsky,
Oktyabrsky,
Bolshesoldatsky,
Oboyansky and
Belovsky districts, were left without power supply. A counter-terrorism operational regime under the
Federal Security Service, headed by
Alexander Bortnikov, This meant that movement was restricted, vehicles could be seized, and phone calls could be monitored, among other measures.
10 August According to analysts cited by
The New York Times, the Ukrainian advance in Kursk Oblast had largely been stopped by Russian reinforcements at this point, and the situation stabilized, but Ukrainian forces continued to hold on to their captured territory. Conversely, other sources such as the
Washington Post and
Frankfurter Rundschau reported that Russia remained unable to control the situation, with continued Ukrainian advances. The
Russian Ministry of Defense made similar claims that they had stopped any Ukrainian advances in Kursk Oblast. Russian authorities introduced a "counter-terrorist operation" regime in Kursk Oblast. Battles were reported in
Olgovka near Korenevo, the Ivashkovskoye farmstead, and Malaya Loknya. On 10 August, Ukraine's
95th Air Assault Brigade entered Kursk Oblast, and was given the task of conducting assaults and mop-up operations around
Malaya Loknya and . Reports claimed that the combat zone had expanded to . In the evening, Kursk Oblast governor Smirnov said that 15 people were injured in Kursk city after the wreckage of an intercepted Ukrainian missile fell onto a residential area. Soldiers of Ukraine's
252nd Territorial Defense Battalion published footage from Poroz, a border village in
Belgorod Oblast.
11 August On the night of 11 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered
Belovsky District, located southeast of Sudzhansky District, which was confirmed by the head of the district and the acting governor. The head of the district asked those who had evacuated not to return.
Proekt claimed that the combat zone had increased to . An armored Ukrainian column crossed into Belgorod Oblast at the village of Kolotilovka, immediately coming under attack by artillery and drones, but ultimately advancing into Russian territory with heavy casualties.
12 August Russian authorities began evacuating civilians from
Krasnoyaruzhsky District in Belgorod Oblast because of the widening Ukrainian offensive. Krasnoyaruzhsky is immediately south of Kursk Oblast, and also borders Ukraine. Russian authorities confirmed that Ukrainians had gained control of at least 28 settlements, while Ukrainian OSINT claimed that Ukrainians had control of 44 settlements and were contesting another 10 settlements. The
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
Oleksandr Syrskyi said that his forces control over of Russian territory. Ukrainian soldiers published a video of themselves driving through the center of Sudzha claiming that the city center was under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13 August According to reports that were not immediately confirmed but deemed credible by Western observers, Putin placed
Alexey Dyumin in command of the defense against the Ukrainian offensive. According to Ukraine a "relatively small" number of Russian troops were relocated to Kursk from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, with the Russian offensives in the latter two regions continuing. In his evening address, Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his forces were in control of roughly 1,000 square kilometres and 74 settlements inside Kursk Oblast. In a meeting with Zelenskyy,
Lithuanian minister of defense
Laurynas Kasčiūnas claimed that Russia relocated some of its troops from its Baltic
exclave of
Kaliningrad to Kursk, without going into further details. The Russian defence ministry claimed to have thwarted Ukrainian assaults in
Korenevsky District near the villages of
Obshchy Kolodez,
Kauchuk,
Alekseyevsky, and
Snagost and in
Sudzhansky District in the direction of
Martynovka, and also in the areas of
Korenevo,
Oleshnya,
Nikolayevo-Darino, Sudzha, and
Mikhaylovka.
14 August Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a massive air and drone attack on Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod,
Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Bryansk, Oryol, and Rostov Oblasts, adding that it had shot down 117 drones and four missiles. Ukrainian state television aired a report claiming that
Sudzha was under Ukrainian control and showing Ukrainian soldiers removing the
Russian flag from an official building. Ukrainian forces were also shown delivering humanitarian aid to civilians in the town. However, Apti Alaudinov claimed that fighting in the town was ongoing. Ukraine claimed to have captured 102 Russian soldiers in less than 24 hours, reportedly from the 488th Guards Regiment and the "Akhmat" Battalions, with Zelenskyy claiming the day before that "hundreds" had so far surrendered during the offensive. According to the state security service of Ukraine, this was the largest single surrender of Russian troops so far. Ukraine reportedly attempted to advance in three directions: east from Sudzha toward the village of Belitsa and the neighboring settlement of Giri, north towards Lgov, and northwest towards Korenevo on the road to
Rylsk. A fierce battle was reported near the settlement of Kauchuk, approximately 30 kilometers from Lgov. Russian forces dug new trenches south of Lgov and in
Chermoshnoy. Ukrainian forces claimed to have advanced 1–2 kilometers and completed clearance of Sudzha. Cherkasskaya Konopelka, to the south of Sudzha, was reportedly captured by Ukraine, while the village of Kurilovka, the hamlet of Dmitryukov and the villages of and Krupets were also reportedly occupied. Ukrainian troops entered the village of Kamyshnoye where an urban battle was reported. The town of
Glushkovo was ordered evacuated by governor Smirnov, with the evacuation of the entire surrounding
Glushkovsky District of Kursk Oblast also begun that same day.
15 August Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the establishment of a
military administration to be headed by General
Eduard Moskaliov, adding that 82 settlements in the oblast were now under Kyiv's control. The Russian MOD claimed to have recaptured the village of Krupets. It also confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had advanced approximately two kilometers. Ukraine lost a
HIMARS launcher in a missile strike in Sumy Oblast. The major road bridge over the
Seym River in
Glushkovo was destroyed by the Ukrainian military, approximately 50 kilometers west of the Russian territory then controlled by Ukraine. Russian officials said that the loss of the bridge would hinder the relocation via land routes of civilians in the district. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 Russian conscripts were trapped in a
pocket south of the river.
17 August Russian forces reportedly blew up two bridges near
Tyotkino and
Popovo-Lezhachi after withdrawing from the right bank of the
Seym River in the area. The Ukrainian military claimed the capture of the settlement of
Korenevo but the Russian MOD described the settlement as contested.
18 August M Proryv tank Ukrainian forces destroyed another bridge over the
Seym river near
Zvannoye. According to Russian bloggers, both Ukraine and Russia reinforced their forces battling in Kursk Oblast, with Russia moving some forces from other fronts to the front. Marines from the
501st Separate Naval Infantry Battalion posted a video of them tearing down the Russian flag from the municipal building of
Apanasovka.
19 August Russia claimed that the Ukrainian military destroyed the third and last bridge over the Seym River in
Korenevsky District leading to possible logistical strain on over 700 square kilometers of Russian territory. In his evening address, President Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces were in control of 92 settlements in Kursk Oblast and 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory.
20 August The Russian interior ministry warned residents of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts against using online dating websites and security cameras, citing concerns of information being gathered by Ukrainian forces.
Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, former head of
Ingushetia and incumbent deputy head of the Ministry of Defense was appointed as
Andrei Belousov's deputy in the Coordinating Council for the Security Issues of the Bordering Territories. Belousov reported that Yevkurov was already in Kursk Oblast that day.
21 August Ukraine claimed to have destroyed several
pontoon bridges used by Russian forces along the Seym River. The
Russian Air Force carried out 17 airstrikes using 27 guided aerial bombs within Ukrainian-held Russian territory, and the
Russian Army conducted artillery strikes on the Ukrainian border settlements of
Porozok and
Pozhnia. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that its forces had repelled Ukrainian assaults from Komarovka, Korenevo, Malaya Loknya and
Russkaya Konopelka and attacked Ukrainian soldiers near eight villages in Kursk Oblast and nine villages in Sumy Oblast.
25 August In his evening address, President Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces had advanced by one to three kilometres, resulting in the capture of two more unspecified settlements, with active operations going on in another one.
29 August Russian forces fully recaptured Korenevo.
30 August Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said that his forces had advanced up to in some areas and seized control of of Russian territory. 100 members of the Bear Brigade, a Russian PMC, said that they would deploy from
Burkina Faso to Kursk Oblast to fight Ukrainian forces.
September 2024 On 5 September, President Zelenskyy claimed that 60,000 Russian troops had been redeployed from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts to Kursk Oblast and that the number of Russian shells fired in the former areas had been reduced. On 7 September, Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed two pontoon bridges over the
Seym River and an
Osa air defence system using SDB bombs and HIMARS rockets.
Russian counteroffensive in Korenevo district The Russian army reportedly launched a counteroffensive operation in Kursk Oblast on 10 September, with reports of Russian advances in the
Korenevo District. Apti Alaudinov also claimed that Russian forces entered Snagost. It was claimed that Russian forces captured the settlements of
Gordeyevka and
Vnezapnoye. On 11 September, Russian counteroffensive operations in Korenevo District of Kursk Oblast reportedly continued, with some Russian sources saying that as much as 165 square kilometers had been recaptured, and Alaudinov saying that "about 10 settlements" had been recaptured. These operations came amidst a Ukrainian redeployment of troops from Kursk Oblast to the
fighting near Pokrovsk, which according to a Ukrainian milblogger gave Russian forces the upper hand in Kursk. One of the objectives of the counteroffensive reportedly was to free up the isolated Russian troops between the Seym river and Ukraine. Another Russian platoon attempting to cross a pontoon bridge on the Seym River was bombarded using HIMARS rockets. On 12 September, the Russian defense ministry reiterated Alaudinov's statements of 10 settlements having been recaptured, and specified that these were Apanasovka, Byakhovo,
Vishnevka, Viktorovka, Vnezapnoye, Gordeevka, Krasnooktyabrsky, Obukhovka,
Snagost, and 10-y Oktyabr. Geolocated footage confirmed a Russian advance of 58 square kilometers, including into Snagost and Krasnooktyabrsky, but not any village captures. The
Institute for the Study of War assessed that these Russian advances were in areas where Ukraine did not have full control. The Russian capture of Snagost was visually confirmed on 13 September, while Russian sources claimed further advances through Ukraine's Kursk salient. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed on 16 September to have recaptured the village of
Borki. On 18 September, the Ukrainian military administration of Kursk Oblast claimed that the Russian counterattack had been halted. However, others suggested the counterattack had yet to reach full momentum. Apti Alaudinov stated that Russia had regained control over the settlements of
Nikolayevo-Darino and
Darino in the
Sudzha District. On 24 September, Alaudinov said that his forces had retaken 12 settlements in Kursk Oblast since the start of the Russian counterattack; 11 of these were visually confirmed to have been recaptured by Russian forces.
Ukrainian incursion in Glushkovo district By 12 September, Ukrainian forces had conducted a new breakthrough across the
Russia-Ukraine border in the
Glushkovo District, at a new section of the front outside of their main salient in Kursk Oblast. Elements of the
116th Mechanized Brigade crossed the border near the villages of
Novyy Put and
Vesyoloye without encountering Russian resistance. The next day, Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian attacks continued near Vesyoloye, Novyy Put, and Medvezhye. The elements of the 116th Brigade which conducted the breakthrough later claimed that they had advanced "significantly deep" into Russian territory and had placed a group of at least a thousand Russian conscripts under threat of encirclement.
October 2024 On 9 October, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces had regained control over Pokrovsky and Novaya Sorochina in the
Sudzha District. On 10 October, Russian forces began a major step up in their counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast. Russian attacks on the salient in the following months were carried out every week by the same brigades and regiments, and heavy on armor. There were reports of that Russian forces had almost eliminated a salient of Ukrainian troops in
Glushkovo District following a strategic encirclement. On 14 October, Apti Alaudinov claimed that Russia had recaptured around half of the territory occupied by Ukraine. This was corroborated by the
ISW, who said that geolocated footage could confirm that 46% had been recaptured. By the end of the first half of October, the Ukrainian website
DeepState claimed that Russian forces had broken through the left flank of the group of Ukrainian forces in Kursk, taking control of the village of . It was reported on 28 October 2024 that Ukrainian forces, including the 33rd Assault Battalion, the
21st Mechanized Brigade, and the 130th Mechanized Battalion of the
47th Mechanized Brigade, had conducted a new breakthrough along the
Russia-Ukraine border at the village of
Novyy Put in the
Glushkovo District of the
Kursk Oblast, and had seized Russian positions. According to
David Axe, this breakthrough took place on or just before 26 October.
November 2024 On 10 November, it was reported that in preparation for a new phase of counteroffensive around 50,000 troops, none of whom had to be diverted from eastern Ukraine, were being amassed in Kursk Oblast. This reportedly included
North Korean light infantry, who were then being trained for combat away from the frontline, and whose total presence in the region totaled 10,000. According to Ukrainian officials, this force would likely attack within days. At a press briefing on 12 November, deputy spokesperson of the US State Department
Vedant Patel told a press briefing that "most of" over 10,000 North Korean soldiers who had been sent to eastern Russia had been deployed at the Kursk frontline.
December 2024 On 11 December, Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian troops had recaptured
Darino and
Plekhovo in the
Sudzhansky District. , it was not clear which side, if either, held Plekhovo. On 12 December, Russia stated that it had regained control over
Novoivanovka.
January 2025 On 5 January, the Russian defense ministry stated that Ukrainian forces had launched a new offensive in Kursk Oblast around 9 AM Moscow time, with Ukrainian bloggers also suggesting an operation was underway. According to Russian military bloggers, the Ukrainian attack was launched from Sudzha in the direction of the villages of
Berdin and
Bolshoye Soldatskoye. Russia said that these offensive efforts had been repelled. Ukrainian forces advanced through the fields south of Berdin into the southern part of the settlement. Russian bloggers claimed Ukrainian offensives towards Leonidovo and near Pushkarnoye. Maps from Russian bloggers indicated that Ukraine controlled the villages of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye,
Martynovka, and Mikhaylovka, had entered Novosotnitsky, and advanced near
Novaya Sorochina and Yamskaya Step. Some Russian milbloggers said that the offensive was possibly a feint for a future larger offensive. Russian forces simultaneously counterattacked southeast of Sudzha, making confirmed advances in Makhnovka, On 7 January, posted geolocated footage showed that Berdin and Novosotnitsky had been cleared from Ukrainian assaults Ukraine confirmed that Ukrainian offensive efforts in Kursk Oblast were ongoing. On 8 January, geolocated footage showed that Russian forces had entered into Nikolayevka, northwest of Sudzha, from the west. On 9 January, amidst increasing Russian efforts to recapture territory in Kursk Oblast, Russian forces recaptured the localities of Alexandriya and Leonidovo, confirmed by geolocated footage of a battalion-sized assault conducted in the area. Further confirmed advances were made near two settlements northwest of Sudzha. Russian sources claimed that Pogrebki, Maryevka and Naidenov had as well been recaptured. Ukrainian forces meanwhile were confirmed to have advanced in Nikolayevka, northwest of Sudzha. On 27 January, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces had recaptured the village of
Nikolayevo-Darino.
February 2025 On 1 February, Russian forces launched an airstrike on a boarding school in Sudzha, killing four people according to Ukrainian authorities. A new offensive launched by Ukraine on 6 February with two mechanized battalions from the town of Makhnovka, which it controlled, led to the capture of the villages of Kolmakov and Fanaseyevka the same day. On 7 February, Putin admitted the situation was "very difficult" while meeting with regional governors. Ukraine said it was willing to offer a humanitarian corridor for civilians, but said it had not received correspondence from Russia, with Zelenskyy accusing Russia of "indifference" to the fate of its citizens. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Russian forces had recaptured several localities throughout February: Sverdlikovo on 17 February, Orlovka and Pogrebki on 26 February, Nikolski on 27 February, and Novaya Sorochina on 28 February.
March 2025 Russian offensive, recapture of Sudzha Ukrainian monitoring group
DeepState reported on 6 March that Russian forces had advanced near the village of Kurilovka, south of Sudzha, threatening Ukrainian defenses. The next day, a Ukrainian military source operating in the Kursk region told
Ukrainska Pravda that the Russians had indeed broken through the Ukrainian defensive line south of Sudzha on 5–6 March, and that Ukrainian units were attempting to prevent their supply routes from being cut off and their forces being encircled. On 7 March, Reuters reported that open source maps showed that Russian forces were near to encircling thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region, with supply lines at risk of being cut-off by drone attacks and artillery.
The Telegraph reported that 10,000 Ukrainian troops had come under risk of encirclement. Russian forces also crossed the Ukrainian border into the Sumy region. Ukrainian official Andriy Kovalenko said that Russian forces were trying to take the Yunakivka to Sudzha highway. On 8 March, Russian forces began attacks on Sudzha itself. Ukrainian military blogger Yuriy Butusov said the attacking Russian force consisted of an assault company; according to
Ukrainska Pravda and a Russian military blogger, about one hundred men emerged from the exit. In an interview with TASS, the commander of the special forces "Akhmat", Apta Alaudinov said that Russian soldiers traveling through the pipe had marked themselves with blue tape, same color as the Ukrainian army uses, in order to deceive the Ukrainian forces and make them think "that their own units were advancing." According to the ISW, this may amount to
perfidy, a war crime. Russian sources characterized the operation as a surprise attack. Ukrainian officer Myroslav Hai claimed later on 8 March that commanders of a Ukrainian
air assault brigade had advance knowledge of the Russian plan, allowing them to carry out an ambush which he said resulted in the death of roughly 80% of the Russian forces who had emerged from the pipeline. The Ukrainian general staff denied in a 8 March statement that the Russians had achieved a large-scale breakthrough on the border, and claimed that the Russian presence in the villages of Zhuravka and Novenke in Ukraine's Sumy region only amounted to small sabotage-reconnaissance groups and infantry units "of only a few soldiers". It also said that the Russians were conducting "heavy" assaults near Malaya Loknya and areas south of Sudzha. By 8 March, the village of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye north of Sudzha had returned to Russian control, according to geolocated footage reviewed by the Institute for the Study of War. Russian bloggers claimed on 8 March that Lebedevka, west of Sudzha, as well as Kubatkin, north of Sudzha, had also been recaptured. The same day, the Russian ministry of defense announced that its forces had recaptured the villages of Viktorovka, Nikolaevka and Staraya Sorochina, north of Sudzha. The next day, the ministry formally claimed the capture of the Russian village of Lebedevka near the border, as well as the hamlet of Novenke in Ukraine's Sumy region. DeepState on 9 March also reported that Lebedevka had come under Russian control, and that Russian forces were pushing into Cherkasskoye Porechnoye. According to senior Western and Ukrainian military officials, the US suspending military intelligence aid to Ukraine had a major impact on the swift Russian advances. On 9 March, Russian bloggers claimed that Sudzha was being attacked from multiple directions and that "fierce fighting" was ongoing. By that same day, Russian forces recaptured Malaya Loknya. The Russian ministry of defense also announced the recapture of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa. On 10 March, orders were given for some Ukrainian units to withdraw from Sudzha. DeepState said on the same day that the Russians had made advances near Mirnoye, and were consolidating their positions and building up their forces in the eastern part of Sudzha. On the left flank of the Kursk front, the Russians were said to be pushing towards Basivka in the Sumy region; on the right flank, it was said that Ukrainian forces were slowing down the Russian advance near
Guyevo, where they claimed that North Korean forces were involved in the fighting. The same day,
Forbes reported that the bulk of the Ukrainian forces in Kursk, with some of Ukraine's heaviest brigades, had evacuated and repositioned on the Ukrainian side of the border. On 12 March, Russian troops were seen raising flags in the center of Sudzha. The Russian ministry of defense announced the recapture of five settlements: Kazachya Loknya, 1st Knyazhiy, 2nd Knyazhiy, Zamostye and Mirny. Syrskyi said that Ukrainian forces were repositioning to "favorable defensive lines" and that there was no threat of encirclement. Military analyst
Ruslan Leviev told
TV Rain that Sudzha was under full control by Russian troops, saying that Ukrainian forces were likely to completely withdraw from the Kursk region in the upcoming days. During a 12 March visit to a command post in the Kursk region, Putin reportedly ordered the Russian military to "fully liberate" the region, saying that this had to be done "in the shortest possible time". On 13 March, the Russian ministry of defense announced the recapture of Sudzha and the settlements of Podol and Melovoy. Russian sources claimed that Russian forces had taken control over the villages of Goncharovka, Zaoleshenka, and Rubanshchina, and were advancing towards Oleshnya. On 14 March, the Russian ministry of defense claimed its forces had recaptured the settlement of Goncharovka. According to Forbes, contrary to
Donald Trump's statement of "thousands of Ukrainian soldiers encircled" in the Kursk region, no encirclement took place in Kursk. On 15 March, Russian sources claimed that Russian forces had taken control over Gogolevka and were clearing Guyevo. Ukrainian officials claimed that the Russians were accumulating forces along the border for a "strike" on the Sumy region, though they said there was no risk of a Russian offensive on the city of
Sumy itself. The Russian ministry of defense claimed the recapture of Rubanshchina and Zaoleshenka settlements. On 16 March, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed Ukrainian troops' withdrawal from Sudzha. According to Ukrainian soldiers interviewed by the BBC, Russia had amassed a significant force, including ″large numbers″ of North Korean soldiers to retake the town, and the retreat was disorderly and "catastrophic". The same day it was reported that Ukraine still held a "sliver of land along the border". Ukrainian officials said the withdrawal was necessary to preserve lives. On 20 March, Ukraine's General Staff said that they continued to hold positions in the Kursk region and that the border was under their control. On 28 March, the Russian ministry of defense announced the recapture of Gogolevka, while DeepState mapping from that day only confirmed partial control of the village.
Ukrainian offensive into Krasnaya Yaruga District, Belgorod region After their withdrawal from most of their positions in the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive into the
Belgorod region. Zelenskyy referred to the operation as a preemptive measure to prevent the Russian military from opening new fronts. Defense analyst Yan Matveev and
BBC military analyst Ilya Abishev called it a diversionary move aimed at redirecting Russian forces. According to Oliver Carroll of
The Economist, the operation had been planned for three weeks and was aimed at creating a Ukrainian-controlled "
buffer zone" on the Russian side of the border. Russian military sources first claimed on 18 March that Ukrainian units were attempting to breach Russian border defenses in the
Krasnaya Yaruga District. Matveev reported that the main Ukrainian attack was launched from the village of towards the village of
Demidovka. The Russian ministry of defense said that Ukrainian forces attempted to infiltrate Demidovka and the village of
Prilesye at 5:50 a.m., and made five attempts to attack the Belgorod region throughout the day, claiming that Russian forces had repelled all of them. The Ukrainian forces involved numbered up to 200 soldiers, and were supported by tanks and
armored personnel carriers, according to the ministry. The next morning, Russian military channels claimed that all Ukrainian attacks had been repelled, but that the Ukrainians were being reinforced and were preparing to continue striking. Police checkpoints were set up throughout Krasnaya Yaruga District, and local authorities encouraged residents to evacuate. Ukrainian forces continued attacking on 19 March; according to the
Conflict Intelligence Team, a Ukrainian unit up to
battalion strength advanced into the region before being pushed back. The next day, Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces were attacking across the border near , and had partially surrounded Demidovka from the south.
April 2025 Kursk region On 4 April, the commander of the United States European Command, General
Christopher Cavoli said that Ukraine's Armed Forces still had a "sizeable chunk" of the Kursk region under their control and that Ukrainians had also
expanded their presence on Russian soil to the nearby Belgorod region. On 8 April, the Russian ministry of defense announced the recapture of Guyevo. On 19 April, the Russian ministry of defense announced the recapture of Oleshnya. On 21 April, Syrskyi said that Russian forces were intensifying efforts to push Ukrainian soldiers out of the Kursk region, with Ukraine holding around 30 square kilometers according to the DeepState monitoring group as of the same date. On 22 April,
The Telegraph reported that following a 10-day battle Russian forces recaptured St. Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery in Gornal, one of the last remaining Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region. On 26 April, Russia claimed it had driven Ukrainian forces out of the region. The claim was denied by the Ukrainian government, who said that while Ukrainian forces were in a "difficult position", they had resisted encirclement and pushed back Russian assaults. Russia also acknowledged for the first time that North Korean soldiers had been fighting alongside Russian troops, with Russian General
Valery Gerasimov praising the "heroism" of North Korean troops.
Belgorod region According to ISW, Russian forces advanced within Demidovka on 22 April and likely restored control over the village of by 26 April.
May 2025 Incursion at Tyotkino Late on 4 May and into 5 May, an armored Ukrainian ground incursion breached the Russia-Ukraine border into the Kursk region near the settlement of
Tyotkino. Russian sources claimed that 250 Ukrainian troops and more than 15 units of heavy equipment were involved in the push. Footage published over the following days indicated further Ukrainian advances in and around Tyotkino.
June 2025 On 22 June 2025, Syrskyi said that despite repeated insistence from Russia that the entire region had been recaptured, Ukrainian forces were still defending a small area of around 90 square kilometers in Kursk, with about 10,000 Russian troops attempting to drive them back.
October/November 2025 In late October 2025, the Ukrainian spokesperson of the Kursk troop grouping, Oleksandr Nevidomyi, claimed that Ukraine still maintained control over some positions inside Russian territory. The ISW reported that Russian forces had attacked in unspecified areas of the oblast on 2 and 3 November. == Reactions ==