ISTANBUL

The Russia-Ukraine war rages on with increased ferocity as both Moscow and Kyiv claim to have made advances in each other’s territories.

For the past few months, Moscow said it has made gains with its offensive in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has claimed similar advances following the launch of its incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk earlier this month.

The situation has created two separate fronts where the conflict, which has passed the 900-day mark, actively continues with fierce clashes occurring daily.

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk

More than 80 years since the Battle of Kursk, a major World War II confrontation between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union forces, the region has once again plunged into conflict.

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk began on the night of Aug. 5-6, with its forces entering the border region near the town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of carrying out a “large-scale provocation” and “indiscriminate shooting,” defining the incursion as a “terrorist attack.”

He also dismissed peace talks with Ukraine, questioning how Russia could have negotiations with “those who indiscriminately attack civilians and civilian infrastructure, or pose threats to nuclear power facilities.”

Days later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted it was an “operation” by Ukraine’s troops, specifying that the goal is to create a “buffer zone” against Russian attacks.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed his forces have advanced 35 kilometers (nearly 22 miles) in Russian territory, capturing 1,263 square kilometers (487 square miles) and 93 settlements in Kursk since the start of the incursion.

Russia has not yet commented on the claims. However, Kursk Governor Alexey Smirnov said on Aug. 12 that 28 settlements in the region were captured by Ukraine and that 121,000 residents had been evacuated.

Two days prior, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced that it introduced a counter-terrorism operation regime in the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

Even though evacuations are ongoing to limit the number of civilian casualties, 31 people have been killed in the region since the start of Ukraine’s incursion, according to a report Wednesday by the Russian state news agency TASS, citing the country’s medical services.

As additional Russian and Ukrainian reserves are shifted into the Kursk region, the fighting is expected to escalate over the next weeks, affecting neighboring Russian regions such as Belgorod, where evacuations have already started.

The escalation of the conflict in Kursk is also expected to impact Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, which lies adjacent to the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine

Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine has also been gaining momentum, with Moscow regularly claiming control over settlements in regions such as Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv.

Most recently, Russia claimed on Tuesday to have captured the settlement of Niu-York, a key logistics hub about 7.2 kilometers (4.47 miles) south of the industrial city of Toretsk, which is situated near the front line and a key front in the region.

A day earlier, Russia also said it took control of the city of Zalizne, around 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) southwest of Niu-York.

Ukraine has not yet commented on either claim and independent verification remains difficult due to the fierce clashes on the frontline.

Elsewhere, Russian forces have been attempting to breach Ukraine’s defenses in the northeastern Kharkiv region since May, opening a new front in the conflict that has so far been concentrated in the country’s east and south.

Since then, clashes in the region have intensified, particularly near the city of Vovchansk, some 7.2 kilometers (4.47 miles) from the Russian border.

Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, has also been regularly targeted by Russian airstrikes during this period.

Russian forces also continue their offensive towards the city of Pokrovsk, another major front in Donetsk.

On Monday, Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin announced the evacuation of families with children from Pokrovsk, as well as nearby rural and urban areas.

He has also declared curfews in multiple areas in the region, including the cities of Myrnohrad and Selydove.

“When our cities are within range of virtually any enemy weapon, the decision to evacuate is necessary and inevitable,” Filashkin said, adding that more than 53,000 people, including almost 4,000 children, still live in the area.

Amid the growing clashes in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has called for more and faster deliveries of weapons and ammunition from its Western partners, which could have a crucial role in how the situation develops in the coming period.