Zelensky Confirms Capture of Sudzha in Kursk Region

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had captured the entire town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, which is located 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Ukrainian border, citing reports from Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief.

“Additionally, General Syrsky reported the successful liberation of the city of Sudzha from Russian forces. A Ukrainian military commandant’s office is being established there. Several other settlements have also been liberated. In total, more than 80,” read Zelensky’s social media update on Thursday, Aug. 15.

The town also houses the Sudzha gas metering station, which is the only route of Russian gas transit to Europe through Ukraine. However, the significance of its capture remains unclear.

A day prior, a news crew from Ukrainian channel TSN broadcasted from Sudzha, marking the first news report from Russian territories by a Ukrainian outlet since the 2022 invasion began.

Zelensky added that Ukraine is setting up a military administration in Sudzha after its capture, and that defense in Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and other locations on the eastern front were “facing the most intense Russian assaults,” with Ukraine ensuring that supplies reach those areas.

Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that the goal of the Kursk incursion, which started on Aug. 6, was to create a “buffer zone” to prevent Russian shelling of Ukraine.

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Will They Deserve to Even be Called “Negotiations”?

Just because two opposing parties arrive at a table does not mean that the ensuing events will necessarily qualify as “negotiations.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, said the Kursk operation is part of Ukraine’s efforts to coerce Russia into negotiations.