Russia is actively seeking workers to dig trenches along its border, as Ukrainian forces push deeper into the Kursk region, according to a new report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kyiv’s troops have advanced over a mile within just a few hours.
The BBC’s Russian service reported on Wednesday that at least 30 job ads for trench builders in Kursk have been posted on a Russian job portal in recent days.
Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region over a week ago, marking the most significant advance into Russian territory since the war began on February 24, 2022. Russian officials claim that their troops, under a “counter-terrorism operation” led by the FSB (Federal Security Service), have stopped Ukrainian progress.
However, prominent Russian military bloggers, along with Western analysts and Ukrainian officials, have reported continued Ukrainian gains in the region. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s military now controls 74 settlements in Kursk. On Tuesday, he openly acknowledged the incursion after days of silence. On Monday, Ukraine’s army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Kyiv controls nearly 400 square miles of the Kursk region. Western analysts, however, remain skeptical about whether Ukraine fully controls this territory.
On Wednesday, Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces had advanced one to two kilometers (about 0.6 to 1.2 miles) in various areas of Kursk since the beginning of the day. This indicates that Ukraine made significant progress in just a few hours. Meanwhile, a second Russian region, Belgorod, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. Belgorod is located southeast of Kursk and also shares a border with Ukraine.
The overall objectives of the Ukrainian operation and the next steps remain unclear. However, Kyiv has indicated that it is not interested in capturing the Kursk region but aims to protect Ukraine from devastating aerial attacks launched from Russian territory.
Read More: Ukraine Claims Control of 1,000 Sq Km in Russian Territory Amid Ongoing Conflict
Robert Murrett, a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and professor at Syracuse University, suggested that the incursion was likely intended to weaken Russia’s ability to fight inside Ukraine. With Russia’s response still in progress, the next two to three days “will be critical for both sides,” Murrett said.
Reports from both Ukrainian and Russian sources on Wednesday indicated that Ukraine had captured four villages in Kursk, though these claims could not be independently verified.
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