Russian head of Bolshesoldatskyi district Vladimir Zaytsev announced evacuations from the district. It is yet another district of Kursk oblast where evacuation was announced, as Ukrainian forces continue their advance into Russian territory.
This announcement comes as acting governor of Kursk Oblast, Alexei Smirnov, revealed plans to relocate evacuees to the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. According to Smirnov, the Russian-appointed head of occupied Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, has offered to accommodate refugees in “sanatoriums and boarding houses on the Azov Sea coast, located from Berdiansk to Kyrylivka.”
The situation in Kursk Oblast appears increasingly dire for Russian forces. Smirnov previously reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that 28 settlements in the region are now “under enemy control.” However, the Ukrainian analytical project DeepState estimates that as of August 12, the Ukrainian army may control approximately 44 settlements in Russia’s Kursk Oblast according to their conservative estimates.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed at a recent military staff meeting that Ukrainian forces are continuing their offensive operation in Kursk Oblast. On 13 August 2024, he said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine control 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Related:
- Ukrainian forces control 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, says Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi
- Ukrainians advance in Kursk Oblast, ISW notes 800 km² advance claimed
- Frontline report: Cluster munitions prove effective in halting Russian advance near Kostiantynivka
- Kursk Oblast incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives from Russia’s cross-border attacks, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry says
- Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi says Ukraine controls nearly 1,000 square kilometers of Russia
