Combat operations in Kursk region are highly dynamic, with no defined contact line – Ukrainian military

Sazonov shared these updates on Espreso TV.

"The situation in the Kursk region shifts rapidly. By the time we discuss an event, the situation has likely already changed. Unlike the Donetsk region, there's no fixed line of contact here. For instance, some of our (Ukrainian - ed.) troops moved in with mortars to support others but walked into an ambush from three sides. They held their ground for a day, captured a Russian observation post. This is how fluid the fighting is in the Kursk region. Both our side and the Russians are acting unpredictably," Sazonov said.

He also highlighted that Russia has moved significant forces into the region.

"Yes, looking at yesterday's battle map, if everything goes according to plan and the enemy doesn't retreat, the Russians could find themselves trapped in a cauldron. But plans don't always go perfectly. The Russians have moved significant resources into Kursk — over 35,000 troops. So, it’s too soon to declare success or predict a decisive outcome. We'll need time, clear strategy, and hope that our plans hold," Sazonov emphasized.

Updates on the events in the Kursk region

On Tuesday, August 6, authorities in Russia's Kursk region claimed that Ukrainian forces attempted to breach the Russian border but supposedly managed to prevent it. Later, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that “the Ukrainian reconnaissance group retreated to their territory.” Ukraine's Defense Intelligence declined to comment on these claims.

On August 7, Vladimir Putin convened Russia's military leadership due to the situation in Kursk, calling it a "major provocation." At the same time, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, urged the global community to "strongly condemn Kyiv’s criminal attacks on Russian soil."

On August 10, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy described the operation in Kursk as “war extortion on the aggressor's territory.” That same night, Russian authorities imposed a counter-terrorism regime in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions.

By August 14, reports indicated that Ukrainian forces had set up a “sanitary buffer zone” for self-defense in the Kursk region. Humanitarian corridors are planned to evacuate civilians, and if needed, military command posts will be set up in the area.

On August 15, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced at a briefing with President Zelenskyy that a military command post had been established in Kursk to provide aid to locals. That same day, the Independent reported that around 2,000 Russian soldiers were captured during the Russian military operation in Kursk.

By September 13, it was revealed that Russians had filed 1,927 requests to President Putin about missing or captured soldiers during August alone — a record number since the invasion began.

On the same day, Zelenskyy noted that Russia was trying to pull back 60,000 to 70,000 troops to the Kursk region. He added that while Russia had launched a swift offensive, they hadn’t achieved any significant progress.

Meanwhile, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War reported that they hadn’t observed any large-scale combat in Kursk that would suggest a coordinated Russian counteroffensive aimed at fully driving Ukrainian forces out of the region.