Russian troops fortify positions in eastern Sudzha – analyst on Kursk situation

This was reported by the OSINT project DeepState.

"Defense Forces of Ukraine are holding designated lines to contain enemy pressure and stabilize the situation, but it remains extremely difficult," the report states.

It is noted that on the right flank, near Guyevo, Ukrainian troops have managed to slow down the advance of North Korean forces fighting on Russia’s side.

"On the left flank of the Kursk grouping, attention is focused along the border with the Sumy region in the Zhuravka-Novenske sector. The enemy is actively attempting to advance on Basovka, while the Defense Forces are trying to halt these efforts by targeting enemy troop concentrations and movement attempts," DeepState added.

What is known about the Kursk operation

The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched the Kursk operation on August 6, 2024, when Ukrainian troops crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border near Sudzha. This marked the first combined-arms operation by the Ukrainian military on Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion.

During the operation, Ukrainian forces achieved several operational-tactical objectives:

• They prevented a Russian breakthrough into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
• Russian troops were forced to redeploy significant forces from Donbas, easing pressure on Ukrainian positions there.
• Approximately 60,000 Russian servicemen are estimated to be stationed in the Kursk region.

Russian forces are attempting to encircle the Ukrainian contingent, particularly by trying to cut off the highway linking Sudzha to Sumy. Last week, Russian troops attempted to break through Ukrainian defensive lines near Sudzha.