White House says Russia redirected some units from Ukraine to fend off Kursk incursion

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Kremlin has redirected some of its troops from Ukraine to fight Kyiv's forces as they advance in an unprecedented incursion deep within Russia, the White House said Thursday.

"We have seen some Russian units being redirected from operations in and around Ukraine to the Kursk area," said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, referring to the Russian region where Ukrainian forces have been staging a growing incursion.

"I can't say with certainty how many or how many more may go or what their intentions would be, but we have begun to see some Russian units being reapplied to the Kursk area," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed earlier Thursday that his forces have taken control of the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, in the latest advance since Kyiv launched its incursion last week.

Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian military commandant's office is being established in the town and several other settlements have also been captured by the Ukrainian army. He further claimed that Ukraine has captured more than 80 settlements in the region since the start of the incursion.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the claims, and independent verification of Kyiv's claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.

Sudzha, located about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Ukrainian border, houses Europe's sole transmission station for Russian natural gas supplies. A Ukrainian lawmaker claimed the facility was captured last week.

The transit line, which passes through Ukraine, remains the only route to supply Russian gas to Western and central European countries, with the Gazprom energy company no longer supplying gas through the Yamal-Europe and the Nord Stream pipelines.

Approximately 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas was delivered to Europe from the Sudzha point last year.

Last week, intensified shelling in Kursk was followed by an incursion of Ukrainian infantry, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, into the border region, particularly near Sudzha.