Ukraine has marked six months since it launched an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “brought the war home for Russians” and could serve as a bargaining chip in any future peace negotiations.
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“Today marks six months of the Kursk operation. With our active operations on Russian territory, we have brought the war home to Russia,” Zelenskyy said in in his nightly video address on February 6.
Ukrainian forces launched the incursion on August 6, capturing swaths of territory in the Kursk region, including the town of Sudzha.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said on February 7 that Ukrainian forces advanced up to 5 kilometers into the Kursk region, seizing at least one settlement southeast of Sudzha. The report, based on geolocated footage, confirms that Ukrainian troops have taken control of the small hamlet of Kolmakov, while also making advances near the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Fanaseyevka.
Pro-Russian military bloggers acknowledged Ukrainian tactical gains, stating that Kyiv’s forces had penetrated Russian defensive lines by up to 5 kilometers.
The “Dva Mayora” Telegram channel confirmed that Ukrainian troops were spotted in Fanaseyevka and Cherkasskaya Konopelka, although it claimed that Ukraine failed to achieve its primary objective of reaching the larger village of Ulanok.
The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that all Ukrainian attacks in the Cherkasskaya Konopelka-Ulanok direction were repelled. Moscow has not officially acknowledged the depth of Ukraine’s incursions.
The ministry claimed Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses, including more than 200 soldiers and dozens of vehicles. The battlefield report could not be verified.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s military made brief reference to military activity in the Kursk region in an assessment of fighting on February 6, only saying that five clashes had taken place since the beginning of the day.
Ukraine has said its foothold in Kursk could be a useful bargaining chip in potential peace negotiations with Russia.
“At some point, when the war moves toward a diplomatic resolution, you will see just how important this operation was,” Zelenskyy said on X on February 5.
Zelenskyy’s office said a day later that Ukraine is ready to open a humanitarian corridor to let hundreds of Russian civilians living in border areas seized by Ukraine to return to Russian-controlled territory.
More than 1,500 civilians are still living in areas of the Kursk region. Some have become angry at Russian authorities over lost contact with family members believed to be without communication on the other side of the front line.
“We are ready to open a humanitarian corridor from Kursk region to the depths of Russia in response to an official request from the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.
“Apparently, the Russians do not want such a humanitarian corridor, because we have not received a corresponding request from them,” the statement said, accusing Moscow of “indifference” to the fate of its own citizens.
Escalating Attacks On Ukrainian Civilians
Since the Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s border regions some 130,000 people have fled the area. Self-exiled Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Current Time that, for the first time since World War II, Russia has lost control over its internationally recognized territory to a foreign military force, highlighting the irony of President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric about “defending Russian lands.”
Displaced Russians have expressed growing frustration with the government’s handling of the situation, staging protests and demanding housing, financial aid, and better security measures.
Kyiv says more than 16,000 Russian troops have been killed in battles in the Kursk region over the past six months, with 909 Russian soldiers captured.
The Russian Defense Ministry says Ukraine has suffered 57,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the same time frame. Both sides have refused to disclose their own losses.
As Ukraine pushes forward in Kursk, Russian forces have escalated attacks on civilian areas, particularly in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. A Russian missile strike on the Myropil community overnight destroyed a residential apartment building, killing at least two people, with more victims feared trapped under the rubble, local authorities said on February 7.
In general, Ukrainian authorities said, Russia launched 112 drones from multiple locations, including Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Bryansk, and Shatalovo. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that 81 drones were successfully shot down over the Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyy, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, and Odesa regions.
While most drones were intercepted, the Kyiv, Sumy, and Khmelnytskiy regions sustained damage. A fire broke out in the Brovary district in the Kyiv region due to a drone strike on a garage, though no casualties were reported.
Despite mounting civilian casualties, Russia continues to deny targeting civilian infrastructure, claiming its strikes focus on military objectives. However, Ukrainian officials and international watchdogs classify these attacks as war crimes, citing the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and residential buildings.
Also on February 7, Ukrainian presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said Kyiv has high expectations for an upcoming visit from Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine and Russia, set to take place after February 11. Yermak stated that Ukraine aims to provide the U.S. administration with a comprehensive assessment of the battlefield situation, mobilization efforts, and military supply needs.
Yermak emphasized the importance of direct U.S.-Ukraine communication, stating that “no peace plans can be made without Ukraine’s involvement.”
