Ukraine's troops still advancing in Russia's Kursk region, Zelenskiy says

PHOTO CAPTION: Members of Ukrainian special forces engage in zeroing their weapons prior to a mission, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the region of Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 6, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

(Reuters) - Ukraine said its major cross-border assault had advanced one to two kilometres in Russia's Kursk region since the start of Wednesday and that its troops had finished clearing the Russian town of Sudzha of Moscow's forces.

Kyiv blindsided Moscow by pouring thousands of troops into the western Russian region of Kursk last week. The surprise operation has given Ukraine its biggest battlefield gains since 2022 after months on the backfoot.

In a video posted on his Telegram account, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was shown being briefed by his top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, by video link.

"We continue to advance further in Kursk region. From one to two kilometres in various areas since the start of the day. And more than 100 Russian prisoners of war in the same period," Zelenskiy wrote in a statement published alongside the video.

Kyiv says it has taken control of more than 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) of territory so far.

Syrskiy said the Russian border town of Sudzha was fully under Ukrainian control.

"The search and destruction of the enemy in the settlement of Sudzha has been completed," he said in the video.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the situation on the ground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to hit back at Ukraine with a "worthy response" and accused Kyiv's "Western masters" of helping Ukraine.



(Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Pavel Polityuk, Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ros Russell)