UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY
By Alperen Aktas and Elena Teslova
ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (AA) - Russia claimed on Tuesday that its forces repelled a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region and captured the settlement of Guyevo during offensive operations near the border.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said units of the North military group carried out strikes that targeted Ukrainian troops and equipment at multiple locations, including Gornal and Oleshnya in the Kursk region and several towns in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
The ministry said total Ukrainian losses in the Kursk direction surpassed 72,000 personnel and thousands of units of military equipment, including Western-supplied systems.
The statement also added the Russian military has to retake two settlements in the Kursk region -- Oleshnya and Gornal.
"Now it remains to liberate two settlements -- Gornal and Oleshnya, there are battles going on for them, our fighters are squeezing out the Ukrainian armed forces," it said.
Apart from the settlements, there are also uninhabited areas where the fighting is ongoing.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on Russia’s claims, and figures could not be independently verified due to the ongoing war.