Moscow Moves Troops Away From Front Lines As Ukrainian Forces Suddenly Push Deeper Into Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly shifting troops out of Ukrainian territory to confront Ukrainian forces that have made a sudden push into Russian territory, according to multiple reports.

Ukraine’s top commander claimed Monday that troops have now seized roughly 400 miles of the Kursk region in Western Russia, in an offensive that began last week, according to severalreports. The incursion marks the first time Ukrainian forces have broken through into Russian territory, an operation which reportedly caught the Biden administration off guard, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.

“We are advancing in the Kursk region, one to two kilometers in various areas since the beginning of the day,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Tuesday. “We have captured more than 100 Russian servicemen during this period.”

Ukraine has sent over 1,000 troops to Kursk for the offensive, Russia’s top general estimated, but U.S. officials told The New York Times the number was likely several thousand. It was unclear how many Russian troops were being pulled away from the frontline to address the incursion, the officials said.