Moscow's troops have made sweeping advances against Kiev's invasion force, liberating over 100 square kilometers

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced the liberation of 12 villages across Kursk Region, reporting a rapid advance against Ukraine's invasion force in the area.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian troops have recaptured more than 100 square kilometers of land, the ministry said in its daily briefing on Tuesday. The liberated locations named by the military include the villages of Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovsky, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhailovka, Pravda, and Yuzhny.

The development suggests that Russian troops are advancing on the town of Sudzha from the north, east, and southeast, while Ukrainian forces are apparently fleeing southwest across the river of the same name. According to media reports, Moscow's forces have already entered the town, which remains the largest settlement in Kursk Region under Kiev's control.

Over the past week, things have rapidly deteriorated for the Ukrainian force in Kursk Region, with its northern flank effectively collapsing. It remains unclear whether Kiev's troops will try to make a stand in Sudzha or retreat altogether.

The invasion force has long been experiencing logistics troubles, as the Russian military has gradually been cutting off its supply routes. Now, the remnants of the Ukrainian force are dependent on a single major cross-border road, which has been coming under constant drone and artillery strikes.

Kiev invaded Kursk Region last August, capturing Sudzha and multiple villages in its vicinity in a matter of days. The Ukrainian zone of control, however, has gradually been shrinking ever since, with the invasion force now having lost more than two-thirds of its initial gains.

The attack on Kursk Region has taken an extreme toll on the Ukrainian military, with the invasion force reporting up to 66,550 casualties during the operation, the latest estimates by the Russian Defense Ministry suggest. Nearly 400 Ukrainian tanks, more than 300 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), 272 armored personnel carriers (APCs), and over 2,000 other armored vehicles were destroyed or captured in the hostilities in the area.