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Ukrainian occupation of Kursk Oblast

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Ukrainian occupation of Kursk Oblast
Military occupation
Map showing the claimed extent of Ukrainian-held territory as of 28 April 2025
Map showing the claimed extent of Ukrainian-held territory as of 28 April 2025
Occupying powerUkraine
Beginning of Kursk offensive6 August 2024
Military commandant's office established15 August 2024
Largest settlementSudzha[1] (from 15 August 2024 to 12 March 2025)
Guyevo (from 12 March to 7 April 2025)
Gornal (from 7 to 28 April 2025)
Government
 • TypeMilitary administration
 • Head of military commandant's officeEduard Moskaliov

On 6 August 2024, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive into Russia's Kursk Oblast, occupying parts of the region. It was the first time since World War II that Russian territory was occupied by a foreign military. Ukrainian forces occupied several settlements, including the town of Sudzha, until March 2025.

History

Main article: Kursk campaign
Eduard Moskaliov was named head of the Kursk Oblast military commandant's office

On 15 August 2024, Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the establishment of a military administration in occupied parts of Kursk Oblast to be headed by major general Eduard Moskaliov, who would head the military commandant's office.[1][2] Syrskyi said that 82 settlements in the oblast were under Ukrainian control.[3] On 19 August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces were in control of over 92 settlements in Kursk Oblast and 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory.[4]

On 3 September, Zelenskyy said in an interview that Ukraine was planning to "indefinitely" hold Kursk Oblast's seized territories, in an attempt to force Putin to the negotiating table.[5] By November 2024, Ukraine had lost control of more than 40% of the territory it initially occupied in the region.[6]

Sudzha was the largest settlement in Kursk Oblast to have come under Ukrainian control. By 12 March 2025, it had been retaken by Russian forces amid a sudden advance in which they retook much of the Ukrainian-held portion of the Kursk Oblast.[7][8][9]

Activities

Ukrainian officials stated that the purpose of the military administration was to provide humanitarian aid to civilians, maintain public service and to keep law and order in territories controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces.[10][3][11] Ukrainian authorities said in August that they planned to allow international humanitarian organizations to access the areas of Kursk Oblast that they controlled.[12]

A curfew between the hours of 17:00 and 10:00 was introduced in Sudzha by the military commandant's office on 23 August 2024.[13]

Civilian life under occupation

In August 2024, Sudzha residents told CNN that Ukrainian Ground Forces troops had provided food to locals who remained in the city.[14]

On 18 September, Ukraine stated that 23 Russian civilians had been killed in Russian shelling since late August.[15] In November, 46 remaining local residents were evacuated via Ukraine to Kursk.[16]

According to reports by Western journalists, Russian flags were removed from administrative buildings shortly after the territory came under Ukrainian control, though Ukrainian flags were not raised in their place. Local residents interviewed by American media said that Ukrainian soldiers treated them well, that they were unaware of any local civilians being killed, and confirmed that Ukrainian forces distributed food and water.[17] Some residents also spoke Ukrainian.[18] According to Politico, Ukraine sought to contrast its conduct in occupied Russian territory with Russia's conduct in occupied Ukrainian territories.[18]

In an investigation, The New York Times interviewed nearly 20 Russian civilians and reviewed videos, photographs, and satellite imagery. The newspaper reported that drone footage from the area near Korenevo appeared to show at least seven people killed during the first days of the Ukrainian offensive, most of them in civilian clothing. Bodies were seen lying on a road near destroyed vehicles, including one person riding a bicycle. Volunteer Maria Skrob, who assisted in transporting bodies to a morgue, stated that 15 people were killed in the incident after allegedly being caught in an ambush on 11 August. Skrob and residents of the nearby village of Kurilovka alleged that Ukrainian troops fired on fleeing civilians. The New York Times said it could not independently verify those claims and noted that the area was an active combat zone, making it impossible to determine responsibility. Ukrainian military officials rejected reports of civilian deaths as Russian propaganda.[19]

Residents of Kurilovka also alleged that Ukrainian soldiers fired on fleeing civilians and killed several people. According to their accounts, at least four civilian vehicles were shot at, including one in which a pregnant woman was reportedly killed. Another vehicle was destroyed in an explosion, which Ukrainian soldiers reportedly said had been caused by a landmine. The New York Times noted that the circumstances of these incidents were difficult to verify because fighting in the area was ongoing. While some visual evidence of civilian deaths existed, the newspaper stated that responsibility could not be determined from the available material.[19]

Some residents interviewed by The New York Times described Ukrainian troops as courteous. However, one verified video showed Ukrainian soldiers, one wearing a helmet bearing SS insignia, mocking an elderly Russian man and calling him a "Russian pig" in broken German.[19]

Patch of the Military Commandant’s Office in Russia of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Verified videos published by Ukrainian soldiers and reviewed by The New York Times showed Ukrainian strikes on residential areas that destroyed homes and infrastructure. In some cases, Russian soldiers could be seen entering buildings before they were struck. The newspaper also noted that Russian forces shelled residential areas during operations to drive Ukrainian troops from Kursk Oblast.[19] As of early September, according to Politico, Russia had not presented substantial accusations that Ukraine had violated the laws of war in Kursk Oblast.[18]

Despite the danger posed by fighting in the area, many residents of Glushkovsky District, which became isolated from the rest of Russia in August after the destruction of three bridges over the Seym River, reportedly refused to evacuate because they feared their homes would be looted by Russian soldiers in their absence.[20] Residents had previously complained of multiple incidents of looting by Russian troops.[21][22][23][24]

Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen Akhmat special forces unit, stated that Russian servicemen had committed nearly 200 crimes in Kursk Oblast, including rape and murder, though he did not specify the time period involved.[25] The Wall Street Journal reported that surveillance footage from Russian-controlled territory, which it could not independently verify, appeared to show Russian soldiers looting a phone store and warehouse. Publication of the footage in local media prompted condemnation from Kursk governor's adviser Roman Alyokhin, who called for the death penalty for looters.[26]

According to official figures, 112,000 people were evacuated from occupied areas, most to the city of Kursk. In early November, evacuees staged protests over the lack of a humanitarian corridor into occupied territory and the reduction of financial assistance. Residents also complained of inadequate evacuation efforts. Sudzhansky District head Aleksandr Bogachyov was subsequently dismissed.[27]

According to local residents, Ukrainian soldiers distributed bread and water during the occupation.[28] Residents also alleged that Ukrainian troops stationed military equipment between houses, resulting in artillery strikes on nearby positions and residential fires.[28] BBC Verify authenticated several videos from Sudzha showing infantry fighting vehicles, including M2A2 Bradley vehicles, positioned between homes, but said it was unable to determine when the footage was recorded. Ukrainian military authorities declined to comment on journalists' questions regarding events in the city during Ukrainian control.[28]

During and after the Ukrainian occupation, Russian authorities reported that Ukrainian forces detained several dozen local civilians and later treated them as prisoners of war. According to a Russian government‑prepared briefing titled "Liberation of the Kursk Region", some of these civilians were forcibly taken across the border and effectively registered as servicemen, with six men later returned to Russia in the course of a prisoner‑exchange process.[29] In 2025, Russian and Ukrainian officials announced a major exchange of prisoners of war in which each side repatriated 270 military personnel and 120 civilians, with Russian sources stating that some of the civilians had been captured by Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast during the occupation.[30][31] In March 2026, during the next exchange, 7 more civilians were returned.[32]

A flag of the fictional "Kursk People's Republic" was sometimes used in the territory or on related discussions online

International law scholar Chris O'Meara wrote that states may use force against another state only in self-defense. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he argued that Ukraine has the right to defend itself, provided that such self-defense is necessary and proportionate. O'Meara stated that Ukraine's limited ability to strike launch sites for long-range attacks inside Russia may justify seizure of Russian territory for defensive purposes in order to prevent further attacks on Ukrainian civilians.[33]

O'Meara further argued that proportionality in self-defense should be assessed in relation to Ukraine's ability to repel Russian aggression. He concluded that Ukraine's occupation of part of Kursk Oblast was proportionate and consistent with the right of self-defense under international law.[33]

Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, stated that Ukraine's seizure of part of Kursk Oblast constituted a military occupation. He argued that while Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territories constituted a crime of aggression, Ukraine's occupation of Russian territory was a response to that aggression.[34]

Control of settlements

Name Pop. District Held by As of More information
Belaya 2,598 Belovsky Russia 6 Aug 2024
Bolshoye Soldatskoye 2,681 Bolshesoldatsky Russia 6 Aug 2024
Glushkovo 4,785 Glushkovsky Russia 6 Aug 2024
Korenevo 6,119 Korenevsky Russia 6 Aug 2024
Kurchatov 42,706 none Russia 6 Aug 2024
Kursk 440,052 none Russia 6 Aug 2024
Lgov 21,453 none Russia 6 Aug 2024
Malaya Loknya 799 Sudzhansky Russia 9 Mar 2025 Mostly captured by  Ukraine on 8 August 2024.[35]
Contested by  Russia since 9 August 2024.[36][37]
Likely captured by  Ukraine on 4 September 2024.[38]
Recaptured by  Russia by 9 March 2025.[39]
Rylsk 15,069 Rylsky Russia 6 Aug 2024
Slobodka-Ivanovka 58 Rylsky Contested[40] 11 Aug 2024 Captured by  Ukraine since 11 August 2024.[40]
Snagost 494 Korenevsky Russia 14 Sep 2024 Contested by  Ukraine on 8 August 2024.[41]
Likely fully recaptured by  Russia on 9 August 2024.[36]
Contested by  Ukraine since around 11 August 2024.[42][43]
Likely captured by  Ukraine on 18 August 2024.[44]
Contested by  Russia between around 10–12 September 2024.[45]
Claimed recaptured by  Russian sources on 11 September 2024.
Confirmed recaptured by  Russia on 13 September 2024.[46]
Sudzha 6,036 Sudzhansky Russia 12 Mar 2025 Contested by  Ukraine between around 6–14 August 2024.[47]
Claimed captured by  Ukraine on 15 August 2024.[48][49]
Contested by  Russia by 11 March 2025.[50]
Recaptured by  Russia by 12 March 2025.[51][52][53]
Tyotkino 3,852 Glushkovsky Contested[54] 7 May 2025
See also: 2025 Tyotkino incursion
Contested by  Ukraine from 7 May 2025.[55]
On  Russia control by 15 June 2025.[54]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "It Is Time to Adopt Important Legislative Things – Defense Legislative Package for Ukraine – Address by the President". president.gov.ua. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ Harmash, Olena; Balmforth, Tom (15 August 2024). "Ukraine opens military office in occupied Kursk region, says it is still advancing". Reuters. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b Fornusek, Martin (15 August 2024). "Ukraine forms military administration in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. ^ Denisova, Kateryna (19 August 2024). "Ukraine in control of 92 settlements in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky claims". The Kyiv Independent. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ^ Denisova, Kateryna (3 September 2024). "Ukraine plans to 'indefinitely' hold Kursk Oblast's seized territories, Zelensky says". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Ukraine loses more than 40% of territory it seized in Russia's Kursk region". France 24. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Online map appears to show Ukraine no longer in control of Russia's Sudzha". Reuters. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Ukrainian withdrawal from Kursk region rumoured as Russian troops enter Sudzha". Novaya Gazeta. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Ukrainian forces withdrawing from Russia's Kursk region — Conflict Intelligence Team". Meduza. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Zelensky Confirms Capture of Sudzha in Kursk Region". Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  11. ^ Kostenko, Maria; Danaher, Caitlin; Tanno, Sophie (15 August 2024). "Ukraine captures town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region as it says advance continues". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  12. ^ "What does the town of Sudzha, which is controlled by the Ukrainian military, look like now? hromadske exclusive". hromadske. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  13. ^ "У Курській області з'явилася українська військова комендатура: у Суджі вводиться комендантська година". War Telegraf (in Ukrainian). 23 August 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  14. ^ Walsh, Nick Paton (17 August 2024). "CNN gains access to Ukrainian-held Russian town" (News article and video). Sudzha, Russia: CNN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  15. ^ "ВСУ говорят, что российская бомба попала в укрытие для жителей в Судже. Что известно". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  16. ^ "«Ты орешь, как немой, а тебя не слышит никто». Полгода назад в Суджу вошли ВСУ. В зоне боевых действий остаются сотни россиян — но о «зеленом коридоре» речи нет. Репортаж «Новой»". Новая газета (in Russian). 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  17. ^ Siobhán O'Grady, Tetiana Burianova (18 August 2024). "In Ukraine-controlled Sudzha, stranded Russian civilians question what's next". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "'We behave like humans': How Ukraine frames its fighting and the laws of war". POLITICO. 3 September 2024. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d A. Kurmanaev, H. Willis, D. Khavin (28 October 2024). "Ukraine Invaded Russia. Here's What It Was Like for Civilians". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Жители прифронтовых районов Курской области не хотят покидать свои дома, опасаясь мародёрства военных". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  21. ^ "«Вы не в курсе, что именно военные занимаются мародёрством?» Почему жители российского приграничья боятся покидать свои дома". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  22. ^ Семён Решетилов (21 August 2024). ""Не оставили шансов на оправдание": мародёрство кадыровцев в Курской области". Кавказ.Реалии (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  23. ^ "В сети появилось видео с мародёрами в камуфляже в Курской области. Один из них одет в форму, похожую на российскую". The Insider. 18 August 2024. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Военные РФ ограбили магазин в Курской области". dw.com (in Russian). 19 August 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Командир "Ахмата": военные под Курском совершили 187 реступлений". Радио Свобода (in Russian). 23 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  26. ^ Matthew Luxmoore (8 September 2024). "In Russia's Kursk, Ukraine Takes On a New Role: Occupier". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  27. ^ "«Всем нам казалось, что это на день-два» Суджа уже три месяца занята ВСУ. Сколько людей остается в городе — неизвестно. Вот истории тех, кто смог выбраться и пытается спасти своих близких". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  28. ^ a b c "«Возвращаться уже некуда». Жители Суджи о семи месяцах в городе, захваченном ВСУ". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 25 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  29. ^ "Liberation of the Kursk Region" (PDF). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 5 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "'Bringing our people home': Ukraine and Russia swap hundreds of prisoners". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  31. ^ Brennan, Ivana Kottasová, Victoria Butenko, Svitlana Vlasova, Eve (23 May 2025). "Ukraine and Russia exchange hundreds of prisoners, part of the biggest swap of the war". CNN. Retrieved 11 April 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ ""175 на 175": Россия и Украина обменялись военнопленными". dw.com (in Russian). Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  33. ^ a b O'Meara, Chris (23 August 2024). "Ukraine's Incursion into Kursk Oblast: A Lawful Case of Defensive Invasion?". Just Security. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  34. ^ "After Ukraine's incursion into Kursk, Kyiv assumes role of occupying army". 6 October 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  35. ^ "'Furious battles are underway': Kursk residents call on Putin for help after Ukrainian incursion". CNN. 8 August 2024.
  36. ^ a b Barros, George; Gasparyan, Davit; Bailey, Riley; Evans, Angelica; Mappes, Grace; Harward, Christina (9 August 2024). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 9, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 9 August 2024. Geolocated footage published on August 9 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced west of Novooleksandrivka and within Ivanivka (both east of Pokrovsk).
  37. ^ "Ukraine advances further into Russia's Kursk region - Ukrainian commander". BBC News. 16 August 2024.
  38. ^ Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 4 September 2024: "Russian milbloggers also claimed that Russian forces withdrew from positions in Malaya Loknya (northwest of Sudzha), consistent with previous Russian claims that a small contingent of Russian forces had been attempting to hold positions within Malaya Loknya."
  39. ^ Harding, Luke (9 March 2025). "Russian forces recapture villages in Ukrainian-held pocket inside Russia". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  40. ^ a b "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  41. ^ "Зона боевых действий в Курской области расширилась до 430 кв км". Агентство (in Russian). 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  42. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 12, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  43. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 11, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  44. ^ Olena, Ivashkiv (19 August 2024). "DeepState confirms Ukraine captured 2 more settlements in Russia's Kursk Oblast". Ukrainska Pravda. Ukraine's defence forces have captured Apanasovka, Snagost and Otruba and advanced into Olgovka in Russia's Kursk Oblast on 18 August.
  45. ^ Barros, George; Evans, Angelica; Wolkov, Nicole; Mappes, Grace; Zehrung, Haley; Hird, Karolina (11 September 2024). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 11, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 11 September 2024. Additional geolocated footage published on September 10 indicates that elements of the Russian 51st Airborne (VDV) Regiment (106th VDV Division) advanced north and northeast of Snagost (south of Korenevo) during a company-sized mechanized assault [...] Several Russian sources claimed that Russian forces fully seized Snagost, but ISW has not observed visual confirmation of these claims.
  46. ^ Barros, George; Evans, Angelica; Harward, Christina; Bailey, Riley; Zehrung, Haley; Gasparyan, Davit (13 September 2024). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 13, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 14 September 2024. Geolocated footage published on September 13 shows Russian forces operating in central Snagost (south of Korenevo), indicating that Russian forces recently seized the entirety of the settlement [...] Geolocated footage published on September 12 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced into northern Petropavlivka (east of Kupyansk).
  47. ^ Faulconbridge, Guy; Kelly, Lidia (7 August 2024). "Ukraine pierces Russian border, triggering fierce clashes". Reuters. Ukraine struck back on Tuesday, and battles continued through the night into Wednesday as Ukrainian forces pushed to the northwest of the border town of Sudzha, 530 km (330 miles) southwest of Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said.
  48. ^ Kostenko, Maria; Danaher, Caitlin; Tanno, Sophie (15 August 2024). "Ukraine captures Russian town of Sudzha as Kyiv's forces advance, Zelensky says". CNN.
  49. ^ Méheut, Constant (15 August 2024). "Ukraine Captures Russian Town, Zelensky Says". The New York Times.
  50. ^ Shumilin, Oleksandr (11 March 2025). "DeepState: Russian troops advance in Kursk Oblast, consolidate positions in eastern part of Sudzha". Ukrainian Pravda. Retrieved 11 March 2025. The enemy is also consolidating their positions and building up forces in the eastern part of Sudzha.
  51. ^ "Online map appears to show Ukraine no longer in control of Russia's Sudzha". Reuters. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  52. ^ "Ukrainian withdrawal from Kursk region rumoured as Russian troops enter Sudzha". Novaya Gazeta. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  53. ^ "Ukrainian forces withdrawing from Russia's Kursk region — Conflict Intelligence Team". Meduza. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  54. ^ a b "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  55. ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
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