Russia says taken control of Sudzha in Kursk region

AFP | Moscow, Russia
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Russia said Thursday it had taken full control of Sudzha, a town in the Kursk region that fell to Ukrainian troops shortly after their shock offensive last August.

Sudzha, home to around 5,000 people before the fighting, was the largest settlement Kyiv seized after it launched its cross-border assault into Russia last year.

Ukraine now risks losing its grip on the border region entirely, ceding dozens of square kilometres in the past seven days, according to military bloggers.

The Kursk region was one of Kyiv's few bargaining chips in swapping land with Russia, which has occupied around a fifth of Ukraine since it took Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale assault in February 2022.

The Russian defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday it had "liberated" Sudzha along with two other settlements in the border region.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on Russia's claim.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the region on Wednesday.

Dressed in battle fatigues, he expressed hope his army would "fully liberate" areas under Kyiv's control.

Moscow's rapid advances in the region came after the US paused intelligence sharing and security support for Ukraine, although a military analyst cautioned against making a direct link.

Outnumbered and outgunned by Russian troops, Kyiv has been ceding ground across the front line for over a year.