Visiting Ukraine-Occupied Russian Kursk Oblast
Sudzha is a Russian town and a center of Sudzha district, Kursk oblast, in just 10 kiometers from Ukraine. Since two weeks, this town is occupied by Ukraine. Ukrainian army expands control over Russian territory, and as on August 20th, controls about 1250 square kilometers of Russian land. Sergej Sumlenny, managing director of the European Resilience Initiative Center, visited Sudzha on August 18th. To get to Sudzha, one first gets to Sumy, Ukraine‘s regional capital, just 50 km from Russia. The Russians partly occupied it in 2022, but their get soon beaten by Ukrainian territorial defence. Now Sumy is a typical war region capital, with extensive numbrers of military vehicles around, and with ruins of buildings, hit by Russian missiles. After one gets to Sumy, one goes to a checkpoint about 20 km from Russian border, to be picked up by the military and brought over the border, which effectively does not exist anymore. On the whole way to the border, one sees endless columns of Ukrainian military vehicles. Ukraine seems to have impressive amount of military equipment and of manpower amassed in Sumy region.
The movement of the Ukrainian army in Sumy region in unprecedented. Within several hours, one can see litereally hundreds of IFVs and pickups, and many tanks. US-produced multiple launch rocket systems HIMARS are moving around and firing their missiles towards Russia. Within a few minutes, they fire the missiles and leave firing position. The Ukrainian territory is also well-equipped with defensive lines and military camps. Soldiers we met on check points were in good mood, confident, and told us how happy and proud the were to be a part of this operation, which they dreamed about for over two years.
While moving towards Russia, one turns out all electronic equipment, as phones and other devices can reveal your position. Gliding bombs hit around, as we saw some explosions in a distance. Russian border checkpoint looks to be totally smashed. „..C..И.“ is what remains from a former „RUSSIA“ (POCCИЯ) sign.
On the former Russian side, one cannot see a lot of defensive lines. It looks like Russia‘s corruption played great role again. Sudzha is just several kilometers from the border, the road is in perfect condition, no signs of heavy fighting, besides the very center of the town, where the administration, police, and FSB were located.
The Ukrainian Army fulfills duties of the occupational forces accordingly international law and in harmony with Ukraine’s right for self-defence. The locals we met were very peaceful, they blamed Putin and stressed that they understand or even speak Ukrainian. The region is an old Ukrainian territory, taken by Russia after 1920s. Ukraine does not have intentions to annex this land, but cultural proximity of the local population is definitely a factor which helps Ukraine to preserve peace on the land. The locals we met were mostly women over 60, who were looking for conserved food or other goods which they could use. Ukrainian army provides civilians with drinking water, as water supply has collapsed in the region.
Ukrainian army did not bother to remove all Russian state signs, including Russian flags. Still some monuments were smashed, like this was to a "hero of the special military operation", a Russian invader killed in Ukraine in April 2022.
While in Russia, we also saw tanks under a white-red-white flag of free Belarus. This should be a Belarusian volunteer unit "Tur" of a Ukranian 225th separate assault battalion, operating in the area.
The overall impressions of the Kursk operation are mostly very positive. Ukraine has not yet unfolded the full strength of her offensive, its army is in her best shape. Ukrainian reserves are broad and can be introduced into the battle to further expand Ukrainian presense in Russia. Russian troops still could not organize stable resistance. Ukrainian commanders we talked to claimed that Russian surrender in large numbers, and those who do not surrender get relatively easily elimenated by artillery strikes. The overal level of confidence of Ukrainian soldiers is unprecedented. The moral level is very high, and is probably related to the fact that Ukraine officially operates on Russian soil for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
