Since last Wednesday, Ukrainian forces have been present in the town of Sudzha, located 105 km southwest of the city of Kursk, but this is the first time the Ukrainian president has confirmed that his troops have captured the town.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Ukrainian army had advanced 35 km through Russian defenses since the start of the surprise attack, capturing 1,150 km2 of territory and 82 settlements.

A military command office has been established in Sudzha “to maintain law and order and meet the priority needs of the population in the territories under its control,” Mr Syrskyi said.

Sudzha is located next to a Russian gas terminal, a key point for gas supplies from Russia through Ukraine and on to Europe. This has fueled speculation that one of Kiev’s goals may be to cut off a major financial benefit to Moscow.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones also targeted four Russian airports. A source in Ukraine's security service told CNN that the attack targeted four bases in the southwestern regions of Kursk, Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 117 "aircraft-like" drones and four tactical missiles in the skies over Kursk and surrounding areas.

The Russian Defense Ministry also announced in a statement posted on Telegram on Thursday that it had recaptured the first village from Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region - the settlement of Krupets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Monday to "drive the enemy out" of Russia after reports that dozens of Russian villages had fallen under Ukrainian control.

The Russian Defense Ministry added that it had established a coordination council on military security issues in the border region. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov chaired the council's first meeting.

"I have ordered the creation of a coordination council on military security issues in the border regions: the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions. The purpose of the council is to increase the effectiveness of comprehensive support for combat groups that are engaged in protecting the state border, the territory and the population of these regions," Belousov said.

Hoang Anh (according to CNN, TASS)