Kharkiv offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated yesterday that the unexpected Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region is intended to establish a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks across the border, according to the Associated Press.

Ukraine's military has made significant inroads into Russia's Kursk region, with Kyiv establishing a military command office in the occupied area. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi informed President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video that Ukrainian forces have advanced 35 km into Russian territory since the offensive began last week.

Ukrainian serviceman ride atop a trophy tank after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.

Ukraine has claimed fresh advances in its offensive into Russia, saying on Thursday it seized over 1,100 square kilometers in the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II.

The United Nations rights office said on Thursday that it has asked Moscow to allow it to visit Russian border regions affected by a cross-border attack by Ukrainian forces.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces made significant advances into Russian territory, with little resistance reported. The white triangles emblazoned on Ukrainian military vehicles have become a symbol of Ukraine's aggressive counteroffensive. These markings are visible on trucks, tankers, and transporters moving towards the border with Russia in the Sumy region.

Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukrainian troops had "advanced well" in Russia's Kursk region, as Kiev's biggest cross-border attack stretched into a second week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops had pushed 1-2 kilometers further into Russia's Kursk region, where conflict has persisted for the past two weeks. Zelensky shared the update via Telegram, noting advancements in multiple areas and the capture of over 100 Russian prisoners of war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday his troops were "moving further" into Russia, as Kiev's biggest ever cross-border attack stretched into a second week.

The Ukrainian army entered Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II.

Ukraine said Tuesday it would not hold on to Russian territory captured in its surprise cross-border incursion and offered to stop raids if Moscow agreed a "just peace."

Ukraine's forces have claimed control over 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He announced that Ukraine's military continues to conduct an offensive operation in Russia's Kursk region, a week after it began. This marks Kyiv's deepest incursion into Russian territory since the full-scale war commenced in February 2022.