Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated today that his country has demonstrated once again that it can take initiative, as the unprecedented invasion of Ukrainian forces into the Russian region of Kursk continues.
“We have proven once again that, in any situation, we Ukrainians can achieve our goals, we can defend our interests and our independence,” Zelensky emphasized in a recorded message released tonight.
Earlier today, President Zelensky met in Kyiv with Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, who informed him that Moscow is moving troops from Kaliningrad – the Russian exclave located between Poland and Lithuania in the Baltic – to Kursk in order to strengthen military operations in the area.
Ukrainian forces have advanced 800 square kilometers into the Russian region of Kursk, according to Russian sources gathered by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and analyzed today by the French Agency.
Ukraine claims to control 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory in this region. After months of retreat on the eastern front, Ukraine launched its largest cross-border attack against Russia on August 6, since the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In comparison, Russia has advanced 1,360 square kilometers into Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian counteroffensives on Ukrainian soil during the same period yielded only 20 square kilometers, according to the analysis by the French Agency.
The major, failed Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 allowed Kyiv to regain approximately 250 sq. km. in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions.
However, the Russian advance in Ukrainian territory did not stop after the surprise attack on August 6: the Russian army has captured another 69 sq. km. of territory since that day and a total of 111 sq. km. since the beginning of the month. This should be added to the 201 sq. km. that it captured in July.
Overall, since the invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia has seized 65,891 sq. km. of Ukrainian territory (data up to August 12). Together with the annexed Crimea (2014) and the zones of eastern Ukraine that were already under Moscow’s control before the war, Russia has taken 108,070 sq. km. or 18% of Ukraine, considering internationally recognized borders.
The calculations of the French Agency were based on daily announcements from the ISW, which in turn relies on public information from both sides and the analysis of satellite imagery.