Ukrainian Forces Reportedly Control Over 1,000 Square Kilometers in Kursk Region

As of Tuesday morning, Aug. 13, hostilities in Russia’s Kursk region have spread over approximately 1,050 square kilometers, according to reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense, pro-military Telegram channels, and NASA satellite data.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky stated that Ukrainian troops are not only engaged in combat but also administering control over the captured territory.

On Monday night, the video appeared on social media showing armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces moving through the Sudzha city center, suggesting that Ukrainian forces may have taken control of the city.

Another video, posted on TikTok, shows the vehicles passing abandoned civilian cars and a MiG-29 memorial, which indicates the location is on the eastern edge of Sudzha.

Still, the exact timing of the video remains unclear, and Kyiv Post couldn’t verify the footage. While Wall Street Journal correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov considered this evidence of Ukrainian control, pro-Russian military blogs deny these claims.

“Zapiski Veterana” blog has claimed that Sudzha has not been captured, and the videos are just “another example of a fictional victory, designed for an internal Ukrainian audience.”

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“Firstly, both the photo and the video depict one person, but not a large unit capable of occupying the city and knocking out our servicemen,” the message read.

“Obviously, the video shows a participant in the saboteurs’ groups, who, in small numbers, actually entered and are entering various settlements of the Kursk region after the outbreak of hostilities.”

Authorities have begun evacuating two districts in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, hinting at a rapid expansion of the conflict along the Ukraine-Russia border.

Acting Governor of the Kursk region, Alexey Smirnov acknowledged that Ukraine currently controls 28 settlements in the region. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian OSINT project Deep State estimates that around 44 settlements are under Ukrainian control.