Ukraine Forces New Kursk Axes Of Advance, Broaden Russian Encirclement

Ukrainian forces in Kursk continue to literally run circles around the Russian forces deployed there. 

The Ukrainian advances are increasingly strategic, designed to create a defensible salient that provides artillery and zone fire control over Russian logistics and reinforcements, while potentially entrapping thousands of Russian troops. JL

Euromaidan Press reports:

Ukrainian drone and HIMARS operators destroyed Russian pontoon bridges in Zvannoye and Karzyh, cutting off supplies to Russian forces in Glushkovo, south of the Seym River. As a result, the Russians are now deprived of  ammunition, equipment, and reinforcements, diminishing their combat capability and preventing them from replacing losses. Ukraine's 82nd Air Assault Brigade used their Stryker units to breach scattered Russian defense lines. Ukrainian forces have reached the railway embankment northeast of Korenevo, bypassing Russian defenses. Russia’s failure to deploy sufficient troops along the defensive line allowed Ukrainian forces to exploit these gaps and launch attacks from behind.

Today, there are a lot of updates from the Kursk direction. Ukrainian forces entered Korenevo and consolidated their positions on the eastern outskirts after the Russians redeployed their main force away from the town.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

However, Russian troops in the area quickly organized a defense along the Krepna River, which runs through Korenevo. To avoid brutal urban combat, the Ukrainian command shifted its main focus to the northern and southern flanks, assembling powerful assault formations to advance from these directions.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

The most significant Ukrainian tactical success occurred on the northern flank of the town. It was initially believed that Russian forces in this area maintained a solid defensive line along the Krepna River, except for the village of Zhuravli.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

 

However, Ukrainian forces launched powerful assaults to bypass this line, aiming to break through the Russian defenses and reach the railway embankment to the north, setting the stage for prolonged clashes.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

The Russian forces defending the line at Kremyanoye and Durovka suffered from poor coordination due to ineffective communication and the inability to adapt to Ukrainian advances. With a limited number of troops in the region, the Russian command struggled to deploy and cover all gaps in their defenses against the Ukrainian push. Additionally, the quality of the Russian forces was compromised; while experienced marines were reserved for ambushing Ukrainian raids from the rear, the primary defensive positions were manned by conscripts.

This situation has allowed the Ukrainian offensive groups from the Eighty-Second Air Assault Brigade to effectively use their Stryker mechanized units to breach the scattered Russian defense lines. As a result, the Ukrainian forces have reached the railway embankment northeast of Korenevo, successfully bypassing the Russian defenses.

The Russian command’s failure to deploy sufficient troops along the defensive line allowed Ukrainian forces to exploit these gaps and launch attacks from behind. This situation left the Russian forces with all escape routes under the control of Ukrainian assault groups. An updated map provided by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrsky, indicated that the Russians still control the towns of Kremyanoye and Durovka. This means that Ukrainian forces now hold positions all around them, effectively placing the Russian troops in a state of complete encirclement.

To leverage their newly gained territories for further assaults north of the town, Ukrainian forces will focus on eliminating the pocket of encircled Russian troops.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

While the encirclement almost guarantees the elimination of these forces, it will extend the clashes, as the Russians have no option for withdrawal. Consequently, the encircled Russian troops are likely to surrender once they exhaust their ammunition and are no longer able to continue the fight.

 

The fall of the Durovka-Kremyanoye pocket would allow Ukrainian forces to advance on the northern part of Korenevo. Capturing this northern section would sever the Korenevo-Rylsk highway, completing the encirclement of the Russian garrison in the town and paving the way for its eventual takeover.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

Here, the Ukrainians gradually slowed down their offensive effort around Sudzha and Korenevo and consolidated their gains to increase offensive efforts to secure the western flank of their advance towards Glushkovo. During their offensive, despite desperate Russian resistance, Ukrainian forces swiftly destroyed Russian pontoon crossings on the Seym River, effectively trapping three thousand Russian soldiers in an operational encirclement.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky recently announced that Ukrainian forces have captured 1,294 square kilometers of the Kursk region, including 100 settlements. In the last four days alone, Ukrainian troops have secured an additional 44 square kilometers and taken 594 Russian soldiers prisoner.

While Ukrainian forces continue their offensive in the area, the Russians are deploying 30,000 reservists to reinforce their defenses in the Kursk region. This force could threaten the Ukrainian gains across Kursk. To counter this, the Ukrainians need to capture the town of Glushkovo and the surrounding area, as it could serve as a staging ground for a Russian counterattack once their reinforcements arrive.

The current length of the frontline in the Kursk region is approximately 120 kilometers for Ukrainian forces. Advancing toward the Seym River in the Glushkovo area would extend the front by an additional 20 kilometers. However, the Seym River would provide a strong defensive advantage for the Ukrainian forces. Securing these positions would allow the Ukrainian command to secure its western flank with fewer troops, as the river simplifies defense. Additionally, capturing the Glushkovo region would expand Ukrainian-controlled territory by over 600 square kilometers.

To pave the way for intensified offensive operations toward Glushkovo, the Ukrainian command ordered strikes on Russian pontoon bridges. As previously reported, the main traffic bridges across the Seym River were severely damaged and rendered unusable by Ukrainian JDAM strikes. This forced the Russians to set up pontoon bridges to maintain logistical support for the 3,000 soldiers in Glushkovo.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

However, Ukrainian forces have established total fire control over these bridges using HIMARS and long-range artillery systems, severely hampering Russian efforts.

Combat footage released by Ukrainian Special Forces shows them hunting down and destroying a Russian truck carrying sections of a pontoon bridge en route to the Seym River.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

The Russians also attempted to conceal a convoy of four PPS-81 trucks transporting pontoon sections to the river, but they were detected by Ukrainian drone operators. The Ukrainian Special Forces then successfully destroyed all four engineering trucks with their bridge equipment on a road in the village of Budki. The original, uncensored combat footage of all operations can be found on Reporting From Ukraine’s Telegram channel.

The combined efforts of Ukrainian drone and HIMARS operators successfully destroyed Russian pontoon bridges in Zvannoye and Karzyh, effectively cutting off all supplies to Russian forces in Glushkovo, located south of the Seym River. As a result, the Russian forces in this area are now deprived of access to ammunition, equipment, and reinforcements, severely diminishing their combat capability and preventing them from replacing their losses.

This allowed the Ukrainian command to initiate the second stage of offensive preparations toward Glushkovo, focusing on intense air strikes. Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29s and Su-27s deployed JDAM-guided bombs to destroy Russian fortifications along the front.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

Combat footage from the area shows Ukrainian forces successfully targeting and destroying Russian positions in the border town of Krasnoktyabrsky. Additional videos reveal the destruction of a Russian supply depot in Muzhitsa and a dugout near Vnezapne. In the border town of Tyotkino, Ukrainians also utilized JDAMs to eliminate Russian firing positions and ammunition caches in high-rise buildings.

Until now, Ukrainian forces have not conducted a consistent series of air strikes against Tyotkino or Krasnoktyabrsky, suggesting these towns may be the new vectors of assault.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

The primary reason for targeting these areas is that they are far less defended than other parts of the Kursk region.

The Russian command has not anticipated assaults from these border regions, which could give Ukrainian forces the element of surprise needed to accelerate their advance. Both Tyoykino and Krasnooktyabrsky are connected to Glushkovo by well-maintained asphalt roads, facilitating the rapid movement of Ukrainian mechanized units once the soft defenses at the border posts are bridged. A topographic analysis reveals that Krasnooktyabrsky is situated on high ground, while Glushkovo and the surrounding areas toward the river lie in the lowlands.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

This elevation advantage will give Ukrainian forces fire control over the area, supporting their continued advance toward the river.

By advancing through Tyoykino and Krasnooktyabrsky, the Ukrainians could bypass the main Russian defense line stretching from Muzhitsa to Vnezapnoe. This maneuver would place the Russian forces defending Glushkovo in a semi-encirclement, leaving them with no viable option but to withdraw from the entire Glushkovo area.

Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.

 

Opening these new assault vectors would stretch Russian forces thin across both the border and the front, making the defense of Glushkovo increasingly untenable.

Overall, the Ukrainians managed to sever the supply roads of Russian forces in the Glushkovo area, cut them off, and inflict substantial losses with precision bombs and air strikes, while also preparing to open new vectors of assault. This series of strikes on Russian logistics and defense will effectively weaken the Russian positions, preparing the ground for new assaults across the border. The goal is to collapse Russian defenses from Glushkovo all the way to the Seym River.