27.56°C Vancouver

Aug 15, 2024 5:34 PM - The Associated Press

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says Kyiv troops have full control of the Russian town of Sudzha

Share On
ukrainian-president-zelenskyy-says-kyiv-troops-have-full-control-of-the-russian-town-of-sudzha
The town, the largest that Ukraine has reportedly seized so far, had a prewar population of around 5,000 people.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Kyiv troops have full control of the Russian town of Sudzha in the Kursk region in their incursion into Russian territory.

The town, the largest that Ukraine has reportedly seized so far, had a prewar population of around 5,000 people. Natural gas flows from West Siberian gas fields through pipes that pass through Sudzha and cross the Ukrainian border into Ukraine’s system.

Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian military commander’s office is being set up in Sudzha. He didn’t elaborate on the details or the functions of the office.

The claims couldn’t be independently verified.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases damaged at least two hangars and other areas, satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press on Thursday show.

Images taken Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP show that two hangars at Borisoglebsk Air Base had been struck, with a field of debris seen around both. It was not immediately clear what purpose the hangars served. There also appeared to be damage potentially done to two fighter aircraft at the base.

Separately, at Savasleika Air Base, one burn mark could be seen on the apron in images Wednesday, though there was no apparent damage visible to the fighter jets and other aircraft there.

Kursk acting Governor Alexei Smirnov on Thursday ordered the evacuation of the Glushkovo region, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Sudzha, where heavy battles are taking place, as Ukraine's daring incursion into the bordering Kursk region entered its second week.

The evacuation order suggests Ukrainian forces are gradually advancing toward the area. Authorities say more than 120,000 residents in the Kursk region already have been evacuated.

At a facility receiving evacuees, Tatyana Anikeyeva told of her flight from the fighting. “We were rushing from Sudzha. … We hid in the bushes. Volunteers were handing out water, food, bread to people on the go. The sound of the cannonade continued without any break. The house was shaking,” she told Russian state television.

Evacuees milled around and waited in long lines for food and other supplies. One man stroked his pet dog and tried to comfort her, while saying that he felt nauseous and couldn’t eat himself.

Russia also declared a federal-level state of emergency in the Belgorod region. A regional-level state of emergency had been declared a day earlier in Belgorod, and the change in status suggests officials believe the situation is worsening and hampering the region’s ability to deliver aid.

Residents who suffer severe health damage will be eligible to receive payments of up to 600,000 rubles ($6,600). Those who experience a loss of property are eligible for up to 150,000 rubles ($1,700), Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.

Ukraine’s chief military officer, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi declared that Ukrainian forces have taken 1,000 square kilometers (about 390 square miles) of the Kursk region. That claim couldn’t be independently verified. The contact lines in Kursk have remained fluid, allowing both sides to maneuver easily unlike the static frontline in eastern Ukraine where it has taken Russian forces months to achieve even incremental gains.

Russian military bloggers have claimed that Russian reserves arriving in the region have stemmed Ukrainian advances, but they also noted that Ukrainian small mechanized groups have continued to probe Russian defenses.

Speaking to reporters at the U.N. on Wednesday, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky dismissed Syrskyi’s claim of having gained 1,000 square kilometers of the Russian territory.

“What’s happening in Kursk is the incursion of terrorist sabotage groups, so there is no front line as such,” Polyansky said. “There is an incursion because there are forests that are very difficult to control.”

He said Ukrainian troops in the forests will be singled out and eliminated within “a very brief period of time.”

Polyansky called the Ukrainian incursion an “absolutely reckless and mad operation,” and said Ukraine's aim to force Russia to move its troops from eastern Ukraine is not happening because “we have enough troops there.”

Latest news

CanadaAug 19, 2025

Canada-Wide Warrant Issued for Gurkirat Singh, 26, of Delta

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Gurkirat Singh, 26, of Delta. Gurkirat is charged with sexually abusing a girl under the age of 16. Police said Tuesday that Gurkirat Singh, wanted in connection with an alleged child sexual assault that occurred last year, is still at large. Police have issued a renewed appeal for information on his whereabouts. The charges against him date back to Sept. 12, 2024. The Delta Police Vulnerable Sector Unit has issued a public appeal for help in finding him so he can be arrested to face charges. Police said in a news release that anyone with informati
heavy-rains-wreak-havoc-in-western-punjab-several-people-die
WorldAug 19, 2025

Heavy rains wreak havoc in western Punjab, several people die

At least six people died in incidents related to heavy rains in Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday and the Meteorological Department has warned of more rain. The visuals that emerged showed the main roads of the city submerged in water and traffic was disrupted. At the same time, at least 358 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last three days as a result of heavy floods and rains, where record rains that started on August 15 have wreaked havoc across the province. Last week, the state government had declared an emergency. Meanwhile, many cities in Pakistani Punjab are on high alert, i
health-canada-approves-ozempic-to-reduce-kidney-deterioration-in-people-with-diabetes
CanadaAug 19, 2025

Health Canada approves Ozempic to reduce kidney deterioration in people with diabetes

Health Canada has approved Ozempic to reduce the risk of further kidney decline among patients with Type 2 diabetes. Between 30 and 50 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes develop some form of chronic kidney disease. An international clinical trial, called FLOW, showed the risk of kidneys significantly deteriorating or failing was 24 per cent lower in patients taking Ozempic compared to those taking a placebo injection. The patients taking the drug were also less likely to die from cardiovascular disease another condition that affects many patients with diabetes. The study, funded by Ozempi
fiery-head-on-crash-on-highway-1-kills-two-near-lytton-b-c
EnglishAug 19, 2025

Fiery head-on crash on Highway 1 kills two near Lytton, B.C.

A fiery head-on crash on Highway 1 in the British Columbia Interior has left two people dead. Lytton RCMP say the crash happened on Aug. 14 just before 5 p.m., when police began receiving calls from the collision site near Spences Bridge. Police say officers arrived to find that a southbound SUV likely crossed over the centre line of the highway and collided with a northbound pickup truck. Mounties say in a statement that the crash left both vehicles "engulfed in flames." Emergency responders say three occupants of the SUV and the driver of the pickup were all taken to hospital, and two dogs a
inflation-cools-to-1-7-in-july-thanks-to-lower-gas-prices-statcan
CanadaAug 19, 2025

Inflation cools to 1.7% in July thanks to lower gas prices: StatCan

Inflation cooled in July thanks largely to relief at the gas pumps, but Statistics Canada said grocery and shelter costs were accelerating last month. The annual rate of inflation fell to 1.7 per cent in July, the agency said Tuesday, down from 1.9 per cent in June. The reading was a tenth of a percentage point below most economists' expectations. A 16.1 per cent decline year-over-year in gas prices tied mainly to the removal of the consumer carbon price earlier this year fuelled the drop. Gas prices were also down 0.7 per cent on a monthly basis. Statistics Canada pointed to increased product

Related News