Ukraine captures strategic Russian city

MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) – As Ukrainian troops advance further into Russian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky claims his forces have captured the strategic Russian city of Sudzha.

The president said at a press conference that the city is fully under the control of Ukrainian forces and that an office of a military commander is being established in the city.

“General Syrskyi reported on the completion of the liberation of the city of Sudzha from the Russian army. An office of a Ukrainian military commander is now being established,” he told reporters.

Sudzha has 5,000 inhabitants and is located in the Kursk region. There is infrastructure to transport Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines.

Ukraine claims to have captured 80 settlements dozens of kilometers from the border in Russia’s southwest after carrying out a surprise attack on Kursk 10 days ago.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon says there are indications that the Ukrainian attack on Russia is drawing Russian troops away from Ukraine’s eastern provinces.

There are early reports that Russian forces are being sent toward Kursk, Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, said at a news conference Thursday.

US officials believe the Ukrainians are being effective on the battlefield and pushing Russian forces back from areas they have captured, they added.

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