Ukraine announced on Monday that it was meeting its objectives in the two-week-old operation in Russia's Kursk region, following Moscow's acknowledgment that Ukrainian forces had damaged a third bridge after striking two others used for troop supply. Kyiv claims to have captured over 80 settlements across an area exceeding 1,150 sqkm in Kursk since initiating a surprise attack on August 6, marking the largest incursion into Russia since World War Two. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the operation in the Kursk region, which borders eastern Ukraine, is intended to establish a buffer zone and diminish Moscow's military capabilities, over two years since Russia's comprehensive invasion.
"We are achieving our goals," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Monday. He also highlighted that more Russian soldiers had been captured, adding: "In the morning, there is another addition to the exchange fund for our state." Kyiv's air force chief confirmed on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had destroyed two bridges in recent days to disrupt enemy logistics. Russia confirmed on Monday that Ukraine had damaged a third bridge over the Seym River, although Ukraine has not yet commented on this third reported strike. Military analysts suggest that these structures were crucial for the supply lines of Russian troops defending the area. Reuters could not independently verify the destruction of the bridges or the current battlefield situation in Kursk.
In his Sunday evening address, Zelenskiy emphasized that his troops were establishing a buffer zone along Ukraine's border with Russia, describing it as part of "maximum counteroffensive actions" designed to impact Moscow's military potential. "Everything that causes losses to the Russian army, the Russian state, their military industrial complex, and their economy - all this helps us to prevent the escalation of the war," Zelenskiy stated. On Monday, Ukraine's ground forces commander, Oleksandr Pavliuk, reported on Telegram that troops were "successfully fulfilling tasks" in the Kursk region and capturing Russian prisoners of war for potential exchanges with imprisoned Ukrainian troops. Pavliuk shared footage of over 10 individuals with their hands raised walking along a road, along with several soldiers kneeling beside the road, though he did not specify the number of Russian prisoners taken.
Despite progress in Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian forces were on the defensive near the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, where Russia has made steady advances in recent weeks. The city, with a pre-war population of approximately 60,000, serves as a critical transport hub for Ukrainian supply lines across much of the eastern Donbas region. Russian troops are now within 10 km of the city's outskirts, according to Serhiy Dobriak, head of the local military administration. In remarks to Ukrainian media on Monday, Dobriak noted that up to 600 people were evacuating daily, and warned that municipal services could be disrupted within a week as Russian forces approach.
