Ukraine's Forces Now Control More Than Two Dozen Russian Villages

Nearly a week into a stunning Ukrainian incursion into western Russia, the acting governor of the Kursk region told President Vladimir Putin and other security officials Monday that the situation is “complicated,” with Kyiv’s forces having advanced 7½ miles into the country and controlling more than two dozen villages.“As of today, the enemy is in control of 28 communities, having advanced 12 kilometers into the Kursk region on a 40-kilometer-wide front,” Alexei Smirnov told the officials via video conference.

“For us, the problem is that…   there is no clear front line, no understanding of where the [Ukrainian] combat units are. It is very important to know where the enemy is and at what time.”

Putin, in the operational meeting broadcast on the Kremlin’s website, demanded that the military eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk and insisted that Russia would prevail.

On Monday, Zelensky directly acknowledged Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk for the first time in a meeting with senior officials, claiming that Ukraine controls about 386 square miles and thanking soldiers and commanders for “their decisive actions.”