Ukrainian forces destroyed a strategically important bridge over the Seym River on Friday as they continued their incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Russian officials said the operation near the town of Glushkovo has isolated part of the local district.
The bridge was used by the Kremlin to supply its troops and its destruction could hamper its operations.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskynoted that Ukrainian troops were strengthening their positions in Kursk and described the captured territories as an opportunity for exchange, implying that they could be exchanged for Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow.
In its second week, This is the largest advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory. since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s surprise cross-border operation has sent more than 120,000 people fleeing in search of safety.
Although Ukraine claims it has conquered territories, kyiv has repeatedly maintained that it does not wish to occupy Russia.
"Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories"a senior adviser to Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Friday.
One of the key objectives of the incursion into Russia is get Moscow to negotiate "on our own terms"Podolyak explained.
"In the Kursk region we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter into a fair negotiation process."a maneuver that has proven to be "an effective means of coercion"wrote Podolyak in X.
On Friday, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky said the offensive had made new progress.
"The troops of the offensive group continue fighting and have advanced in some areas between one to three kilometers from the enemy."Syrsky told Zelensky in a video posted on social media.
Syrsky said he hoped to take "many prisoners" during a battle in the village of Mala Loknya, about 13 kilometers from the border.
Eviction of border towns
As the advance of Ukrainian forces continues, officials in the Russian region of Belgorodbordering Ukraine, have said they will evacuate five villages starting Monday.
"From August 19, we will close access to five settlements, expel residents and help them remove their property."Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app, identifying small villages close to the border.
However, as Ukraine moves further into western Russian territory, Russian forces are also making progress in eastern Ukraine.
On Friday, Moscow said its troops had captured Serhiivka, the latest in a series of towns reclaimed by Russian troops in recent weeks.
The latest developments bring Russians closer to the city of Pokrovska vital logistics hub that sits on a main highway for supplies to Ukrainian troops along the Eastern Front.
Pokrovsk is located in the northwest of the Russian-controlled Donetsk region.which has been under Ukrainian fire since Friday morning. Several civilians have been injured.
Sergiy Dobryak, head of the city’s military administration, urged residents to evacuate the area as Russia was “rapidly approaching the outskirts.”".
Previously, officials installed by Russia in the Moscow-controlled part of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk blamed kyiv for an attack on a shopping centre in which at least seven people were injured.
According to the governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, backed by Russia, the city has been under shelling since midday on Friday.
Pushilin said three civilians had been killed and five others wounded in the past 24 hours, Reuters news agency reported.
In Crimeawhich was annexed by Russia in 2014, missiles aimed at a bridge built under the orders of the Russian president, Vladimir Putinwere shot down overnight, the Defense Ministry said on Telegram.
kyiv has launched multiple attacks on the Kerch bridge since Moscow launched its military offensive.
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