Ukraine’s Kursk invasion enters third week

Ukrainian forces have captured 92 settlements and 1,250 square kilometres of territory in the Russian border region of Kursk as their surprise incursion into the territory enters its third week. More than 122,000 Russians have been displaced by the campaign, according to Russian state media.

The Ukrainian military also damaged a third bridge crossing the Seym River in the Kursk region on 19 August, potentially preparing the ground for Ukrainian soldiers to seize more territory. The bridge was the last major crossing point on the river.

The incursion, which began on 6 August, is the largest cross-border operation by the Ukrainian military since Russia launched its attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022.

Ukrainian forces have been struggling to hold off a Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine for months. Ukraine had hoped that the counter-offensive in Kursk would relieve pressure on the country’s eastern front by diverting some of Russia’s forces. But the Russian military has continued advancing in eastern Ukraine, capturing and closing in on key towns and territory in recent days.

The Kursk operations may also be a bid to try to push Russia to the negotiating table and to increase Ukraine’s bargaining power in future peace talks.

Prior to the Kursk invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been signalling he was ready to engage in talks to end the war. Analysts have said the Kursk invasion is a risky gamble that could eventually give Ukraine leverage in negotiations over territory swaps.

At least in the short term, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin could lash out in response, and an aide to Putin said on 19 August that Russia will not hold peace talks with Ukraine as long as the offensive in Kursk continues.

For an intimate look at what life has been like in Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion began, read: