Russian forces are scrambling to build on their rapid advance in retaking areas of the Kursk region, claiming control of the town of Sudzha on March 12, and President Vladimir Putin has met with commanders, urging them to push on.

Their goal is to cross our border and move as deep as they can to gain a foothold on our territory, expanding the zone of active combat, Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the Ukraine Border Guard Service told RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service.

Meanwhile, with Russia seemingly tentatively agreeing to a cease-fire proposal pushed by the United States and Ukraine, areas of Kursk seized by Ukrainian forces last summer have shrunk to a fraction of what they were months ago, according to the Deep State mapping organization.

However, the capture of Sudzha by Russian forces would be a Pyrrhic victory, according to Ukrainian military analyst Oleksiy Yizhak.

Sudzha has been destroyed, he said. It no longer exists, like many Ukrainian settlements captured by Russia. There's actually very little left to capture. Thats whats happening in the Kursk region.