Zelensky confirms Russian counteroffensive in Ukrainian-controlled Kursk

In the past two days, though, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that Russian troops had reclaimed 10 settlements in the region, amid worries by Ukraine’s allies over whether Kursk was worth the gamble and whether it can be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations.

The size, scale and outcome of the Russian counterattack “are unclear and the situation remains fluid,” said a Sept. 11 report from the Institute for the Study of War.

On Tuesday, British Defense Secretary John Healey, in an update to the House of Commons, applauded the Kursk operation, adding that “the longer they hold Kursk, the weaker Putin becomes. The longer they hold Kursk, the better defended Ukraine will be.”

Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk — an important logistics hub where Russian troops are steadily advancing — Ukrainian authorities said that critical infrastructure had been destroyed, leaving the city without gas for cooking or drinking water.

About 18,000 people remain in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said, including 522 children. About 20,000 people have fled, and last week, the final evacuation train departed.

“Evacuation is the only … choice for civilians,” Filashkin said.

In Ukraine’s Donetsk Region, Russia attacked two Red Cross vehicles — working in the village of Viroliubivka, near the front lines — about to distribute wood and coal briquettes to help warm homes this winter, killing three people and injuring two.

“It’s unconscionable that shelling would hit an aid distribution site,” said International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric. “Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the loss of our colleagues and care for the injured. This tragedy unleashes a wave of grief all too familiar to those who have lost loved ones in armed conflict.”

Siobhán O’Grady contributed to this report.