Ukrainians close to encircle 3,000 Russians in Kursk

The Kremlin has failed to stop the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, and now the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is starting the battle for the next major Russian settlement - Korenevo.

According to Bild expert Julian Röpke, on August 20, the telegram channel of the Russian group “North” published a video showing the AFU units standing 300 metres from the entrance to the village of Korenevo (19 km from the border). This footage confirms that the fighting has begun for Korenevo, which the AFU has been approaching for several days, Röpke emphasized.

To his thinking, the loss of this settlement would be even worse for Vladimir Putin's reputation than the loss of Sudja.

‘Unlike Sudja, he will not be able to cite the suddenness of the attack and unprepared defense. After two weeks of fighting in the Kursk region, the Russian army has moved thousands of soldiers into the region as reinforcements. In this situation, to lose to the Ukrainian expeditionary corps would be a terrible disgrace for the Russian military leadership,’ the Bild expert said.

Besides, Röpke notes the successful advance of the AFU in other areas. In particular, the Ukrainian troops after persistent fighting took control of the village of Martynovka north-east of Sudja. It is located on the motorway that leads directly to Kursk.

“Martynovka was defended by Chechen units, and the village was important as a starting point for a potential counter-offensive on Sudja,” he notes.

According to ISW analysts, Russia has redeployed some of its units from near Chasoviy Yar in Ukraine's Donetsk region to Kursk region to try to stop the AFU's advance.

Earlier, Bild wrote that after the destruction of bridges over the Seim River in Kursk region, the AFU still had 2.6 kilometers to go to close the conditional “cauldron” for Russian troops in the Glushkovskiy region. Up to 3,000 Russian troops could become encircled.