Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is “getting stronger” in Kursk, with his troops blowing up a second bridge in the Russian territory on Sunday.

Fighting continues in the Kursk region, where Ukraine has been inching forward since launching its surprise cross-border incursion last week. But Ukraine remains under pressure its occupied east.

The Kursk offensive has left Russia struggling to shore up its own territory. Kyiv seems to have multiple goals with the assault, from boosting morale after a torrid few months to stretching Russia’s resources. A Ukrainian presidential aide said the incursion aimed at ensuring a “fair” negotiation process.

The foothold of Kyiv’s presence in Kursk is “getting stronger” and “now we are reinforcing our positions,” Zelensky said in his latest address.

As part of efforts to cripple Moscow’s logistical capabilities, Ukrainian forces said Sunday they blew up another bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, with “precision air strikes.”

“The Air Force aviation continues to deprive the enemy of logistics capabilities with precision air strikes, which significantly affects the course of combat operations,” Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykolaiv Oleshchuk said in a post on social media that included a video showing plumes of smoke engulfing parts of the bridge.

It comes two days after Ukrainian forces destroyed another bridge over the Seym. Russia’s foreign ministry said Ukraine had used Western rockets to carry out that attack, which were likely US-made HIMARS.

The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState said Sunday that Kyiv is making further gains in the Kursk region and shared a still image from a video, also geolocated by CNN, of what it said was a Ukrainian Defense Forces tank in the village of Olgovka, located about 20 km (12 miles) north of the town of Sudzha.

Kyiv’s forces took control of Sudzha after launching their cross-border incursion earlier this month and have established a Ukrainian military commandant’s office there.

The Ukrainian military says it has taken control of more than 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory amid the ongoing incursion in the southwestern region.

On Sunday, Ukrainian armed forces published a video of what they said were “Sivalka” flamethrower systems “engaged in active combat operations” in the Kursk direction.

Russia has urged residents to evacuate areas where heavy fighting is underway. The head of the Kursk region’s Korenevsky district, Marina Degtyareva, appealed to residents who have left the area not to return.

“The operational situation on the territory of our district remains complicated. Some citizens are not giving up their attempts to return home, thus hindering the work of our military,” she said on Sunday. “Returning to the area so far is impossible for local residents, and sometimes results in terrible tragedies.”

“I appeal to all residents of Korenevsky district, let’s be patient and let our military deal with the enemy, let’s not interfere with our defenders,” Degtyareva said, adding that authorities would let residents know when it is safe to return.

Russian forces on the outskirts of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region

Meanwhile, Russian forces are continuing their advances in eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv has been under pressure all year.

Russia’s army has moved closer to the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, which serves as a key hub for the Ukrainian military because of its easy access to the town of Kostiantynivka, another military center. Ukraine uses the road connecting the two to resupply the front lines and evacuate casualties.

“The Russians are close, up to 11 kilometers from the outskirts of the town. The town is getting ready,” Serhii Dobriak, the head of the Pokrovsk city military administration, said Sunday.

“Every town in Donetsk region has a combat unit assigned to it, and defense plans have been developed. We are working with the military to build fortifications. This is a continuous process,” Dobriak said.

The evacuation of civilians from Pokrovsk has been accelerated because of the approach of Russian troops, he said. Nearly 1,800 people have been evacuated from the city over the past week alone, while until recently 450-500 residents were being evacuated every month.

“The Russians are destroying our towns and villages, killing civilians, so we need to think about our safety and evacuate,” Dobriak said. “Currently, the town is being hit by missiles, MLRS, and there have been several guided aerial bomb attacks.”

All services are currently operating in the community, including shops, farmers’ markets, pharmacies, banks and ATMs. Courts and administrative service centers are also open, Dobriak said.

Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Sunday urged residents of Pokrovsk and other settlements “in the immediate vicinity of the front line” to evacuate and “leave for safer regions.”

Vereshchuk said she understood residents would have to leave their jobs, homes and property, but “nevertheless, the lives and health of you and your children are more valuable,” and staying in the area interferes with the work of the defense forces.

“I also understand that you may face difficulties and uncertainty during the evacuation. However, it is far better than being under enemy fire, on the front line. You will not be alone in the evacuation,” she said, adding “the government, local authorities, volunteers, international organizations and, in fact, the host communities will all help.”

Intense fighting is also underway around the villages of Pivnichne and Zalizne in Donetsk region, located about 40 miles east of Pokrovsk, where Russian forces launched “a massive assault” Sunday morning, Ukraine’s General Staff said.

“The Russian invaders, supported by an armored group of 12 vehicles, attempted to break through the Ukrainian military positions and advance towards Toretsk,” the General Staff said, referring to another strategic town that could open the way for Russian forces to advance towards Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Over the course of the week, Russia has used more than 40 missiles of various types, 750 guided aerial bombs and 200 strike UAVs of different types against Ukrainian cities and villages, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.

“For such terror, the occupier must be held accountable before the courts and history. They are already facing the strength of our warriors,” Zelensky said.

In his daily address on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainian units were “doing everything to hold the positions” amid dozens of attacks on the front lines in Donetsk.

“And all this is more than just defense for Ukraine; it is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions,” Zelensky said.

“Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, their military-industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression – a just peace for Ukraine,” he added.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Syrskyi told Zelensky that “our guys are doing great on all fronts” but he called for allies to deliver supplies more quickly. “There are no vacations in war,” Syrskyi said, directing his comments especially to the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

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Zelenskyy says aim of Kursk incursion to create buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the military incursion into Russia's Kursk region aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border.

It was the first time Zelenskyy clearly stated the aim of the operation, which was launched on August 6.

"Today, we achieved good and much-needed results in destroying Russian equipment near Toretsk. And all this is more than just defence for Ukraine, it is now our primary task in defensive operations overall - to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions," Zelenskyy said.

He also used his nightly video address to appeal to international allies to speed up deliveries of military hardware for the battlefield.

"There is a need for faster delivery of supplies from our partners. We strongly ask for this. There are no vacations in war. Decisions are needed, as is timely logistics for the announced aid packages. I especially address this to the United States, the United Kingdom and France," he said.

Zelenskyy's comments come on the same day the Ukrainian military released footage showing what it said was the destruction of a key bridge in Kursk, the second such bridge struck in less than two weeks.

Destroying the bridges would disrupt Russian supply routes and might signal that Ukraine's troops intend to dig in.

Russia's pro-Kremlin military bloggers have acknowledged the destruction of the first bridge which spanned the Seim River near the town of Glushkovo.

Russian officials haven't given the exact location of the second bridge but Telegram channels claimed that it also spans the Seim river in the village of Zvannoe.

The daring Ukrainian military incursion into Kursk has seen Kyiv's forces seize several villages, take hundreds of prisoners and force the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians in what has become the largest attack on Russia since World War II.

In more than a week of fighting, Russian troops are still struggling to drive out Ukraine's forces.

Kyiv also hopes that the operation will change the dynamic of the more than two-year-old conflict.

But Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that the aim of the operation is not to occupy Russia.

"Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories," one of Zelenskyy's senior aides, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on X on Friday.

"In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process," he said.

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Russians ‘ready to evacuate’ Kursk city at moment’s notice

Russian rescue and volunteers assist civilians that were evacuated from the Kursk Region border.

Russians in Kursk city are ready to evacuate at a “moment’s notice” and already have escape plans in place should Ukrainian forces reach the city.

Locals told The Telegraph they fear Ukraine will “penetrate deep into the territory of the Russian Federation” amid its ongoing invasion of the southern border regions of Kursk and Belgorod.

They spoke of being forced to continue their daily lives as usual despite fighting edging closer to the city of Kursk, just 57 miles from the border.

Ukraine’s cross-border assault entered its thirteenth day on Sunday, with Russia redeploying “several thousand” troops from occupied areas to roll back the unprecedented advance. Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops have made steady gains, armed with Nato weapons that hold the potential to turn the tide of the war.

Maksim, a shop worker in Kursk city, described the windows of his supermarket shaking amid Ukrainian attacks but said that he and his colleagues had nowhere to shelter.

“We continued to work during attacks, there is no shelter in Kursk, it’s not the United States. The officials here do not like ordinary people,” he said. “We still live the way we lived, because we have nowhere to go.”

Maksim voiced his support for the US, whose High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as Himars, have been critical in the advance.

“I’m only for Ukraine or the United States to free us from this circus with clowns, it’s incredibly impossible for us to fight for justice in Russia.”

He claimed that countless individuals who have fled the areas of Kursk now under Ukrainian control, including the strategically significant town of Sudzha, have been left without adequate shelter.

Russian media reported that 20 evacuation centres had been set up following the attacks, but over the last few days, these have swelled to capacity as people carrying bags of hurriedly packed belongings fled from the border region.

“People have lost their homes and property literally, and they have nowhere to spend the night, for that the president promises everyone 100 dollars, isn’t it a mockery?” said Maksim.

On Thursday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said his country’s forces had taken full control of Sudzha, the administrative centre of Sudzhansky District.

Kyiv claims to have taken over more than 80 settlements since its offensive began and, according to authorities, more than 120,000 residents in the Kursk region have already been moved.

Locals sprang into action in the dead of night on August 6, scrambling as many vehicles together as possible to evacuate those trapped as the invasion began.

Ukraine had crossed the border with pinpoint precision, and Russia was on the back foot.

Vadim Stukalov, 23, woke to the sounds of Ukrainian drone attacks in Sudzhansky District, some 50 miles east of Kursk city.

He recounted navigating back roads in the dark as he drove into the war-zone to rescue those stranded in villages with no means of escape.

Locals - shocked by the chaos of Ukraine’s advance - banded together to gather any working cars and minibuses they could find to make sure no one was left behind.

“When rockets began to hit residential buildings, the decision was made to evacuate. Ukrainian troops were already close to the area and attacked it with drones,” he said.

“There was a sense of solidarity among people who were in trouble… I felt so much fear that we wouldn’t be able to get people out.”

A lack of phone connection made the escape difficult to coordinate: cars would often depart half-empty, unsure if others were still waiting, leaving desperate people behind.

“People were moving out so quickly and we couldn’t wait around for them to get in touch,” Vadim explained. “When the first car was found, the (phone) connection was lost, so the car left and we had to look for a new transport again.”

In those moments Vadim rounded up the group he was working with, pausing for just long enough to give them the time to breathe and assess the situation.

“It was a chaotic situation. In such situations, my calm mind and sober mind are turned on. I looked after my friends, we took time to do breathing exercises together to make sure we could cope with what we needed to do.”

Sasha Bychkova, 28, recounted greeting her family in Kursk city after they had fled their homes barely ten miles from the border.

“Ukrainian tanks entered the village. They were running in a car under fire,” she said. “There were grandparents, uncles and aunts. I was worried about their life and health.”

Although she and her parents, aged 55 and 57, reside away from the front lines, they remain on edge. When she spoke to the Telegraph on Thursday, three air raid alarms had already sounded in the city that morning.

Sasha and her parents have already crafted an escape plan, prepared and ready to be executed at a moment’s notice, should Ukraine seize control of Kursk.

‘Our escape plan is already made’

“It’s hard to talk about the possibility of Ukraine entering the city. I would like to stay here to help the wounded, but my parents would be sent to a safe place. We have a safe place ready and can go at a moment’s notice. Our escape plan is already made.”

“Bogdan”, a 26-yr-old who chose to remain anonymous for safety reasons, also fled from Ukrainian advances on August 6 from the village of Glushkovo, around a one-hour drive northwest of Sudzha.

“I came home from vacation to shelling at my home. I read the news, packed my things, took my parents and my cat and left there,” he said, recounting his escape to Kursk city.

Tired of the fighting along the border, Bogdan said neither he nor his parents were shocked by the Ukrainian advance.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, they have grown accustomed to constant tension, and the news of the frontlines shifting closer felt almost inevitable.

“Life with shelling and deaths of civilians has been going on for more than two years, so this situation does not surprise me,” he said.

“My parents, just like me, had always expected it. Besides, we have hope that everything will end and we will return. Only the cat was scared. We’ve known this was coming.”

Ukraine has driven deep into the region in several directions, facing little resistance and sowing chaos and panic.

Kyiv is tight-lipped about its intentions, neither confirming whether it plans to establish a foothold in the Kursk region nor indicating if it will retreat into Ukrainian territory.

“I am concerned that Ukrainian troops may penetrate deep into the territory of the Russian Federation,” said Bogdan.

Ukrainian soldiers, communicating with the Telegraph anonymously, said the high-stakes gamble Ukraine is making by taking the war into Russia is paying off.

“I have a positive attitude towards battles because we defend what is ours and take what is ours,” an anonymous soldier said via social media.

“There are good guys here and it was an excellent plan from the commander, everything is perfectly planned and everything is in order.”

But some Russians just want the violence to stop.

“I was born here, grew up here, spent the best years here, studied and worked. I love Russia, this is my home. But I don’t hate Ukraine and other countries,” said Bogdan.

“I will say one thing: everyone has suffered from this war and there is no winner in it.”

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