Fighting In Russia's Kursk Continues Amid Major Ukrainian Incursion

Despite the claims of Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces, that the Russian army had halted Ukraine's surprise advance into the Kursk oblast of the Russian Federation, reports today suggest that fighting in the border region around the town of Sudzha remains intense.

• Russian state-run Tass claims that Russian forces are actively fighting in the Sudzha district, and are pushing back Ukrainian forces according to a local official. The Russian Defence Ministry is claiming that its forces are 'thwarting Ukrainian attempts to break through deeper into the Kursk region'.
• The attack has garnered significant global focus because of its audacious nature and location. Reports now suggest around 1,000 Ukrainian troops were involved as well as tanks, armoured vehicles and drones. It marks the largest Ukrainian incursion into Russia of the war, and is different to previous small-scale incursions.
• The attack also comes near the Sudzha gas transit terminal, crucial for ensuring the supply of Russian natural gas to several European nations. This has had a notable impact on gas markets (see 'NATGAS:TTF Surges Since Late July on Geopolitical Drivers' 0909BST)
• France24 reports: "multiple pro-Russian military bloggers said the battles continued into Thursday and that civilians were being evacuated. "Sudzha is basically lost to us. And this is an important logistics hub," said Yuri Podolyaka, a popular Ukrainian-born pro-Russian military blogger, adding that Ukrainian forces were pushing north towards Lgov."In general, the situation is difficult and continues to deteriorate, despite the fact that the pace of the Ukrainian offensive has noticeably dropped."