Russia claims recapture of key town in Kursk border region

Russian troops have regained control of the town of Sudzha in the Kursk border region, driving out Ukrainian forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday in a statement online. In a surprise attack, more than 600 Russian soldiers crept into the town through a gas pipeline, Russian state news reported. The Russia-Ukraine War has reached a critical juncture, with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal on the desk of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Earlier this week, Ukraine launched a mass drone attack on Moscow.

Putin visited the Kursk region late Wednesday, asking his forces there to prioritize the complete expulsion of Ukrainian troops, the Moscow Times reported. Russia claimed to have retaken 24 settlements in the Kursk region over the last five days that were held by Kyiv.

Ukraine did not directly confirm the Russian claims. But Ukrainian Commander-In-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Facebook post late Wednesday that fighting around Sudzha was ongoing. Syrskyi also said that Russia was carrying out airstrikes on its own town to repel Ukranian troops and they might need to reposition to preserve their lives.

What does this mean for the proposed ceasefire? A top Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Thursday that Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal was nothing more than a temporary respite for its military, according to the Kyiv Independent. Putin may give an official response on the plan later on Thursday after a scheduled meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.