Thousands of Russian troops face being cut off in what would be a major military embarrassment for Vladimir Putin’s generals.
Russia’s army is struggling to contain a daring and ambitious Ukrainian attack that has seized so far around 483 square miles of territory, along with 92 settlements.
Ukraine has sought to press home its attack and has shown no sign of curtailing its assault.
Three bridges across the Seim River have been either destroyed or badly damaged, it has been claimed, with Ukraine now poised to take even more territory.
Kyiv’s army is looking to push forward from its existing bridgehead around the Russian town of Sudzha, captured two weeks ago.
Reports suggest that Ukrainian forces are just 1.6 miles away from the Seim River, where Russian soldiers are stuck in the Korenevsky district.
If the Ukrainians succeed in reaching the Seim, then Russian troops south of the river will effectively be cut off from the rest of their army.
Ukraine’s troops will also gain another sizeable chunk of Russian land, around 270 square miles.
A military source told the German publication BILD that around 3,000 Russian soldiers are in danger of being encircled.
“1,000 in the small villages of Tetkino and Glushkovo and another 1,000 along the border with Ukraine,” the source said.
The Russians are desperately trying to evacuate their troops across the river, and are building pontoon bridges.
However, these are particularly vulnerable to close-range Ukrainian strikes from US-supplied Himars systems and kamikaze drones.
It comes as civilians continue to flee the eastern city of Pokrovsk, as Russian troops close in on the strategic city.
Local authorities said Russian forces were advancing so quickly that families were under orders to leave the city and other nearby towns and villages starting Tuesday.
Around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, officials said, and some of them decided to get out immediately.
The attack in Kursk was reportedly partially conceived to try and slow down Russia’s advance on Pokrovsk, diverting troops away from the eastern front.
Russia, though, appears to have stepped up its push on Pokrovsk following the Kursk incursion, throwing more resources at the Donetsk front.
