Russia launches breakthrough in Kursk as Ukraine and US set to resume talks

On March 7, the Agentstvo news agency and the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported that Russian forces had made a breakthrough south of the Ukrainian-controlled town of Sudzha, potentially threatening to cut off some Ukrainian positions in the Russian Federation's Kursk Oblast.

An unnamed military source stationed in Kursk Oblast told Ukrainska Pravda that Russian Federation forces have broken through Ukrainian defenses south of Sudzha and Ukrainian defense forces are trying to stabilize the situation.

According to this source, the Ukrainian army is trying to restrain the Russian Federation's offensive to prevent the risk of being partially or completely encircled.

Along with republishing the information from Ukrainska Pravda, The Kyiv Independent newspaper said on March 7 that they could not verify the information while the spokesperson of the Ukrainian forces in Kursk province and the Ukrainian Special Forces refused to comment on the related situation.

However, recent facts show that the Russian Federation army has stepped up efforts to break through the defense line in Sumy province and cut off the logistical lines of the Ukrainian army in the area bordering Kursk province.

For its part, Ukraine is seeking to maintain its position on the Russian Federation's border in order to gain leverage in potential future peace talks.

According to Agentstvo, Russian Federation forces have almost reached the Ukrainian border in the south of Sudzha, which means that at least some areas have been cut off from the main defense line. This information was quoted by an expert from the Conflict Intelligence Team.

Meanwhile, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said: “Fierce battles are still going on in the border area of ​​Sumy region. The assault units of the Russian Federation are trying to break through and advance towards the highway from Yunakivka (in Sumy region) to Sudzha (in Kursk region).”

However, Mr. Kovalenko did not confirm information about the Russian Federation's breakthrough in Kursh, but only affirmed: "Ukrainian defense forces are still fighting fiercely and causing heavy losses to the Russian Federation army."

The breakthrough occurred between March 5 and 6 and was the result of a gradual and systematic offensive by the Russian Federation in the region, Ukrainska Pravda sources said.

The Ukraine battlefield monitoring group DeepState appears to have confirmed the Russian military advance, showing Moscow forces pushing deep into Ukrainian positions and approaching the state border in Sumy Oblast.

DeepState marked the village of Kurilovka, about 5 km south of Sudzha, as a disputed area as of March 6. The monitoring group also reported further Russian advances the following day.

The pro-Russian channel Tw Majors, one of the influential sources, also reported on this advance, claiming that Moscow's forces had penetrated up to 4 km deep into Ukrainian defenses.

These developments came as President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 6 that delegations from Ukraine and the United States had resumed work and were expected to meet next week.

Regarding the time of the meeting, according to Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, it is expected to take place on March 11 and will be attended by Mr. Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of President Zelensky. Meanwhile, according to Axios news site, the meeting will take place on March 12.

The US delegation is expected to include Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

“The idea is to establish a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire,” Mr. Witkoff said outside the White House.

Discussions are still ongoing to determine the location of the meeting, with Riyadh or Jeddah (both in Saudia Arabia) being considered, according to Mr. Witkoff.

In August 2024, Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border counterattack into the Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation.

After six months of fighting, the Russian Federation army claims to have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region.

However, according to a report from the Ukrainian General Staff on February 6, Russia suffered nearly 40,000 military losses in Kursk province, including more than 16,000 soldiers killed.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said last November that the counteroffensive had thwarted Russia's plans to send troops into control of Sumy province, where Moscow intended to create a “buffer zone.”