SUDZHA, Russia (AP) — A trail of destruction has been carved out in the path Ukrainian troops have carved in their risky push into Russia, breaking through the border and eventually reaching the town of Sudzha, where Associated Press journalists traveled Friday on a Ukrainian government-sponsored trip.
Artillery fire has blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin that stands in a central square in the Russian city that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday was fully under the control of his forces. The windows of an administrative building have been blown out and its bright yellow facade is scorched and riddled with bullet holes.
Ukrainian troops have captured one Russian settlement after another in a surprise operation that Kiev hopes will change the dynamics of the 2.5-year conflict.
The Russian military has so far struggled to formulate an effective response to the assault on the Kursk region, the country's largest since World War II. Sudzha, which lies 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border, is the largest town to fall to Ukrainian forces since the incursion began on August 6.
Evidence of Ukraine’s lightning march lines the roads into town. On grass strewn with rubble lies a bullet-ridden sign with arrows pointing in two directions: Ukraine to the left and Russia to the right. A burnt-out tank sits by the side of the road.
The photos and videos published by AP were reviewed by Ukraine's Defense Ministry, which is standard practice for such trips.
The incursion has reframed the conflict, leading to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians and the capture of at least 100 Russian troops, according to Russian authorities, Kiev said. It is widely seen as a major morale boost for a country and military struggling to fend off Russia’s relentless advance more than two years after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
But so far it has not undermined Russia's strategic advantage.
The full scope of the Kursk operation remains unclear, including how long Ukraine is willing to hold Russian territory and for what purpose. Will Sudzha be a bargaining chip for a future ceasefire negotiation? And if so, will Ukraine take on the role of occupier in a country that controls a fifth of its own territory?
Ukrainian officials and soldiers have said that diverting Russian reserves from key battlefields in eastern Ukraine is a minimal goal of the Kursk offensive. But Moscow has shown no signs of withdrawing significant numbers of troops from the fighting there or slowing the pace.
Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will establish a command post in Sudzha to coordinate aid and military operations, suggesting that Ukraine plans to remain in the Kursk region in the long term — or at least wants to signal to Moscow that it might do so.
Western parties supporting Ukraine have heard little about the surprise operation. However, US President Joe Biden said he had been kept informed of developments.
Sudzha, which had only 5,000 inhabitants before the conflict began, has strategic importance. From the city, troops can reach the main roads to continue their operations in Russia. Natural gas flowing from the West Siberian gas fields to Central Europe via Ukraine passes a measuring station in the Sudzha district. However, Ukraine can also cut off this gas flow from its own territory.
In the Russian city, residents huddled in the basement of a school on Friday. As they wondered what their fate would be, Ukrainian troops continued their advance in Kursk. Fighting continued south of Korenevo, a city similar in size to Sudzha that would provide a significant tactical gain.
