ALBAWABA - After a series of strikes that started on August 6, Ukrainian forces have taken control of almost 1,000 square kilometers of Russian land in the Kursk area. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the chief of general staff of Ukraine, reaffirmed the ongoing operations and emphasized that the attack is still going on.
Syrskyi said on August 12, 2024, that Ukrainian soldiers had effectively taken control of a sizable portion of Russian Federation land. During the fiercely fought attack, Ukrainian soldiers have advanced up to 12 kilometers inside the Russian border.
In a meeting with top authorities, including Syrskyi, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the military's perseverance and hard work in Ukraine. Zelenskyy highlighted the troops' strategic moves and the significance of their involvement in the ongoing battle.
In retaliation, Ukrainian soldiers seized control of 28 villages in the area, according to Russian Governor of Kursk Alexei Smirnov. Smirnov called the situation difficult and mentioned that there are still about 2,000 Russian people in the impacted regions who don't know what will happen to them. In addition, he gave an update on the evacuation efforts, saying that 59,000 people are currently awaiting relocation out of the 121,000 people who have already been evacuated.
The evacuation process has been split into two stages, with the first stage concentrating on a 10-kilometer area surrounding important areas such as Sudzha and Korenevo. The vicinity of a nuclear facility in Bolshoe Soldatskoe and Lgov has also been included in the evacuation. To date, the fighting has claimed the lives of 12 civilians and injured 121 more.
