“Sanitary zone” dream shattered: Russia’s firestorm fails to push Ukraine’s troops from Kursk Oblast
War continues in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, and the Kremlin is losing control even on the information front, says military expert Valerii Riabykh, Espreso reports.
On 22 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced plans to create a “sanitary zone” in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts to protect Kursk and Belgorod oblasts from Ukrainian attacks. However, analysts note that Russian forces are unlikely to achieve the seizure of major cities like Sumy in the near term.
Fighting in the Kursk direction remains intense. Russian forces are pushing hard but have been unable to dislodge Ukrainian defenders, the expert continues.
“The Kremlin is trying to boost the morale of its population through propaganda, but it’s not very effective, as some residents of Kursk Oblast have already fled,” Riabykh notes.
According to the official data from Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian troops have shifted from large-scale offensive operations to massive artillery and air strikes — in the past 24 hours alone, 17 airstrikes and around 200 artillery attacks were recorded.
Ukrainian forces have established a so-called “sanitary zone” extending 10–15 km deep into Russian territory in Kursk Oblast. This prevents enemy threats in the Sumy direction and complicates their logistics operations.
Riabykh also reports that Russian forces are amassing forces for potential active operations in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, using Kursk as a staging area. However, for now, Ukraine’s Armed Forces are successfully keeping the situation under control.
Fighting in the Kursk direction remains among the fiercest, and the information front has become one of the most crucial battlegrounds for both sides in this war.
