KYIV, Ukraine — The chief of Ukraine’s army said Tuesday that the country’s troops control nearly 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russia‘s Kursk region since their surprised incursion three weeks ago.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi also said that Ukraine has captured 594 Russian prisoners in its operation.
“The enemy drags troops from other directions, in such way weakening them. They attempt to create a ring of defense around our offensive group of troops and plan counteroffensive actions,” Syrskyi said, commenting on the situation in the Kursk region. The seized territory is roughly the size of Los Angeles.
His claim, which could not be independently confirmed, came hours after Ukraine endured a second consecutive barrage of nighttime air and missile attacks from Russia.
Five people were reported killed and 16 injured in the attacks, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said included 81 drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. He said four people died, but the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region later said a fifth person had died there from burns in the attacks.
“We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for this and all other attacks. Crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished.” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The Kursk operation, the largest incursion into Russia since World War II, forced some 130,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Russia has sent reinforcements into the region, but it was not…
