Zelensky Says Has Visited Ukraine's Sumy Area, Bordering Russia's Kursk Region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he went on Thursday to border areas in Sumy region, just across the frontier from Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are staging an unprecedented offensive.

Over two years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv's troops caught the Kremlin off-guard on August 6 by launching a large-scale assault inside Russian territory, where they captured dozens of settlements.

"I visited the border area of the Sumy region and held a meeting with Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrsky and the head of the Sumy regional military administration," Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky said his troops had seized another settlement and "replenished the exchange fund," meaning it captured more prisoners of war to be used as leverage for future swaps.

Ukrainian officials have said the goals of the offensive included creating a "buffer zone" in Russian territory, seeking an end to the war on "fair" terms and stretching Russian forces.

Kyiv's troops are however still struggling in the eastern Donbas region, where the Russian army has been making steady gains.

Zelensky said he discussed "steps taken to strengthen the defence toward Toretsk and Pokrovsk" in the Donbas, frontline areas with fierce fighting.

As the war stretches into its third year, Ukraine has been stepping up its attacks on Russian territory.

A source in Ukraine's Security Services told AFP that Ukrainian forces had hit the Marinovka airfield in the Volgograd region, saying "each operation reduces Russia's superiority in the skies and significantly limits their aircraft capabilities."

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Why Is Russia so Mad? Five Things to Know About Ukraine’s Recent Missile Strikes Against Russia

Moscow is furious Russian sovereign territory has been violated and is rattling sabers. But the Kremlin probably also is lashing out against a more agile opponent.

Volgograd regional governor Andrei Bocharov said Thursday that a drone downed by air defences had sparked a fire "at a defence ministry facility" without giving details.

Russia has denounced the Kursk offensive, in which at least 31 civilians have died and 143 have been injured, according to TASS state news agency.