Ukraine says it is still advancing in Russia’s Kursk region, hints at ‘next steps’

KYIV — Ukraine said on Tuesday its biggest cross-border assault of the war to date had taken control of 74 settlements in Russia’s region of Kursk and was still advancing, making gains of one to three km in the last 24 hours.

Ukraine blindsided Moscow by pouring thousands of troops into the western Russian region of Kursk last week. The surprise operation has given Ukraine its biggest battlefield gains since 2022 after months on the backfoot.

Kyiv’s account jarred with the picture painted by Russia where Major General Apti Alaudinov said Ukraine’s troops had been halted, while the defence ministry said attacks had been repelled at villages about 26 to 28 km (16 to 17 miles) from the border.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv’s forces had rounded up Russian prisoners of war who could be swapped for captured Ukrainian fighters, touting what he described as an expanding “exchange fund”.

“Despite difficult and intense battles, our forces continue to advance in the Kursk region, and our state’s ‘exchange fund’ is growing. Seventy-four settlements are under Ukrainian control,” Zelenskiy said.

Shown speaking by video link, the Ukrainian leader asked his top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to develop the next “key steps” in the operation.

“Everything is being executed according to the plan,” Syrskyi replied, without elaborating.

Kyiv has disclosed few details about its plans, in stark contrast with last year’s counteroffensive that was vaunted for months in advance and which ended up failing to breach well-prepared Russian defensive lines.