Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly denied Moscow’s assertions that Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded in Russia’s Kursk region. As Russian forces continue to advance, reclaiming key villages and consolidating their hold over contested areas, the battlefield situation remains intense.
The latest developments come as former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, who he claimed were trapped by Russian forces.
Russia has made significant territorial gains in Kursk, recapturing the villages of Zaoleshenka and Rubanshchina, located northwest of the strategically important town of Sudzha.
This area had been under Ukrainian control for months following Kyiv’s surprise incursion last summer. Ukraine had hoped to use its territorial advances as leverage in future peace talks, but with Moscow steadily regaining lost ground, that strategy appears increasingly uncertain.
Despite the deteriorating situation, Zelensky dismissed reports that Ukrainian troops were encircled. In a public statement, he insisted that Ukrainian forces were actively resisting both Russian and North Korean-backed units in the region, emphasizing that there was no full-scale encirclement.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged the difficulty of the fight but remained resolute in pushing back against Russian claims.
As the fighting rages on, diplomatic efforts to broker peace remain stalled. While the United States has called for an immediate ceasefire, Putin has shown little willingness to halt hostilities without concessions.
On Friday, the Russian leader responded to Trump’s plea for mercy, stating that Ukrainian soldiers would be "guaranteed life and dignified treatment" if they surrendered. The Kremlin has hailed its military victories in Kursk as a "major success" and has begun fortifying newly reclaimed positions to prevent further Ukrainian counterattacks.
Russian authorities have also started evacuating civilians from recently recaptured areas. Acting Kursk Governor Alexander Khinstein announced that 275 residents had been relocated, with 174 currently placed in temporary housing. The evacuation efforts come as Moscow works to reassert control over territories it lost months ago.
Ukraine has not remained passive in the face of Russian advances. In a bold retaliatory move, Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike on an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region, sparking a massive fire in the Black Sea port city of Tuapse.
The attack led to the deployment of nearly 200 firefighters to contain the blaze. Russian officials condemned the strike as an act of "terrorism" by Ukraine, further escalating tensions between the two nations.
Beyond Kursk, heavy clashes continue along the eastern front. Zelensky reported that Ukrainian forces had managed to "stabilize" the situation around Pokrovsk, a city that has been under relentless Russian assault for months.
Meanwhile, Moscow intensified its missile strikes on Kryvy Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, wounding 14 civilians, including two children.
Ukrainian officials stated that the attack targeted residential buildings, causing widespread destruction. The Russian military has repeatedly hit Kryvy Rih throughout the war, with Friday’s strike marking yet another escalation in Moscow’s campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.
With Russia reinforcing its grip on recaptured territories and Ukraine retaliating with strategic strikes, the conflict shows no signs of abating. Diplomatic negotiations remain fragile, with both sides unwilling to back down.
As the war enters yet another phase of intensified hostilities, the prospects of a peaceful resolution remain uncertain, leaving both nations bracing for a prolonged and bloody struggle.
AFP