On Wednesday, August 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his troops were “advancing further” into Russia, as Kyiv’s largest cross-border assault entered its second week.
The Ukrainian military crossed into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, seizing numerous settlements in the most significant foreign offensive on Russian soil since World War II.
On Tuesday night, Ukraine launched a separate drone attack targeting four Russian airfields, described as the “largest attack” of its kind since Moscow’s invasion began in 2022, according to a source in Kyiv’s security services.
“In the Kursk region, we are advancing further—between one and two kilometers (0.6-1.2 miles) in various areas since the start of the day,” Zelensky stated on social media.
He also mentioned that Ukraine had captured “more than 100 Russian servicemen” recently, which he believed would “accelerate the return of our boys and girls.”
Meanwhile, the neighboring Russian region of Belgorod has declared a state of emergency as Ukraine prepares to move into the area.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported Wednesday that Ukrainian troops had advanced across at least 800 square kilometers of Russian territory as of Monday.
In response, Russia claimed it had repelled Ukrainian attempts to penetrate deeper into the Kursk region across five areas.
“The attempts by enemy mobile units using armored equipment to advance further into Russian territory have been repelled,” the Russian defense ministry stated.
Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it would not retain the Russian territory it captured and offered to halt raids if Moscow agreed to a “just peace.”
“The sooner Russia agrees to a just peace, the sooner Ukrainian defense forces will cease their raids into Russia,” said Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy.
Additionally, Ukraine accused Russia of depriving its citizens of food, water, and medicine and promised that the Ukrainian army would ensure adequate care for Russian citizens remaining in Kursk.
