Russia Reportedly Breaks Through in Kursk Oblast — Ukraine Fights to Stabilize Front

Russian forces have reportedly broken through Ukrainian defenses south of Sudzha, potentially cutting off some Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to reports from Agentstvo and Ukrainska Pravda on March 7.

An unnamed military source deployed in Kursk Oblast told Ukrainska Pravda that Ukraine is struggling to contain the Russian advance, attempting to prevent a partial or complete encirclement of its forces.

Ukraine’s military command has declined to comment on the situation, and The Kyiv Independent has not yet verified the claims.

Russian Advances and Strategic Implications

Russia has intensified its offensive along the Sumy-Kursk border, aiming to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and force Kyiv to divert resources from other frontlines.

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According to the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo, Russian forces have nearly reached the Ukrainian border south of Sudzha, suggesting that at least some Ukrainian-held areas have been cut off.

The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation also acknowledged heavy fighting in Sumy Oblast, with Russian assault units attempting to push toward a strategic highway between Yunakivka (Sumy Oblast) and Sudzha (Kursk Oblast).

“The Defense Forces are fighting and dealing significant casualties to Russian troops,” said Andrii Kovalenko, the center’s director. However, he stopped short of confirming a Russian breakthrough.

The Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState has marked Kurilovka, a village 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Sudzha, as a contested area as of March 6. The platform reported further Russian advances on March 7, suggesting Moscow’s forces are pushing deeper toward Sumy Oblast.

Meanwhile, the Russian pro-war channel Tw Majors claimed that Russian troops have penetrated up to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) into Ukrainian positions.

The Kursk Front: Six Months of Fighting

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, forcing Russian troops onto the defensive for six months.

Since then:

• Russia claims to have retaken 64% of the region after months of counterattacks.

• Ukraine reports nearly 40,000 Russian casualties in Kursk Oblast, including over 16,000 killed.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi previously stated that Ukraine’s incursion prevented a full-scale Russian invasion of Sumy Oblast, which Moscow hoped to use to establish a buffer zone.