Inside the city of Sudzha, a Russian city under Ukrainian control

SUDZHA, Russia (AP) — A trail of destruction runs along the road that Ukrainian forces have carved along their border. Risky incursion into RussiaSurface-to-surface missiles were fired from the Ukrainian border toward the town of Sudzha, where Associated Press journalists traveled Friday on a trip organized by the Ukrainian government.

Artillery fire has destroyed parts of a statue of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin in a central square in the Russian city, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday was fully under his forces’ control. Windows were shattered at an office building, its bright yellow facade scorched and pockmarked with bullet holes.

Ukrainian forces have captured one Russian settlement after another in a surprise operation that Kiev hopes will change the dynamics of the two-and-a-half-year conflict.

The Russian army has so far achieved I struggled to mount an effective response. In an assault on the Kursk region, the country’s largest since World War II, the town of Sudzha, 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the border, is the largest to fall to Ukrainian forces since the incursion began on August 6.

Along the roads leading into town are signs indicating the lightning-fast advance of Ukrainian forces. On the debris-strewn grass, a bullet-stained sign points in two directions: Ukraine to the left, Russia to the right. A burned-out tank stands by the roadside.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reviewed the photos and video that the Associated Press chose to publish, which is standard procedure on such trips.

It has been penetrated. reframing the conflictThe operation has evacuated more than 120,000 civilians, according to Russian authorities, and taken at least 100 Russian soldiers prisoner, according to Kiev. It is widely seen as a major morale boost for a country and military struggling to fend off a relentless Russian advance more than two years after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.

But so far, this has not affected Russia’s overall strategic advantage.

But the full scope of Operation Kursk remains unclear, including how long Ukraine is willing to hold onto Russian territory and for what purpose. Will Soga become a bargaining chip in future ceasefire negotiations? And if so, will Ukraine assume the role of occupier in a country that itself controls a fifth of its territory?

Ukrainian officials and soldiers have said that diverting Russian reserves from key battlefields in eastern Ukraine is a minimum goal of the Kursk offensive, but Moscow has shown no signs of withdrawing significant numbers of troops from the fighting there or redeploying them. slow down.

The West has supported Ukraine’s backers. remained largely silent About the surprise operation, although US President Joe Biden said he was aware of the developments.

Sudzha, which had a population of just 5,000 before the conflict began, is of strategic importance. From the city, troops have access to major roads to continue their operations in Russia. Natural gas flowing from gas fields in Western Siberia to Central Europe passes through Ukraine via a metering station in the Sudzha area. However, Ukraine can also cut off the flow of gas from its territory.