Ukraine Army Says it Controls Nearly 500 Square Miles of Russia's Kursk Region

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- The chief of Ukraine's army said Tuesday that the country's troops control nearly 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russia's Kursk region since their surprised incursion three weeks ago.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi also said that Ukraine has captured 594 Russian prisoners in its operation.

"The enemy drags troops from other directions, in such way weakening them. They attempt to create a ring of defense around our offensive group of troops and plan counteroffensive actions," Syrskyi said, commenting on the situation in the Kursk region. The seized territory is roughly the size of Los Angeles.

His claim, which could not be independently confirmed, came hours after Ukraine endured a second consecutive barrage of nighttime air and missile attacks from Russia.

Five people were reported killed and 16 injured in the attacks, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said included 81 drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. He said four people died, but the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region later said a fifth person had died there from burns in the attacks.

"We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for this and all other attacks. Crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished." Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The Kursk operation, the largest incursion into Russia since World War II, forced some 130,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Russia has sent reinforcements into the region, but it was not clear to what extent these movements might be weakening Russia's position in eastern Ukraine, where it was making slow advances in efforts to gain ground in the Kharkiv region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Ukraine has suffered heavy casualties in Kursk -- some 6,600 troops either killed or injured -- and that more than 70 tanks have been destroyed along with scores of armored vehicles. Those figures could not be independently confirmed.

In the Kyiv region, which had struggled with blackouts after Monday's onslaught that targeted energy facilities throughout the country, five air alerts were called during the night. The regional administration said air defenses destroyed all the drones and missiles but that falling debris set off forest fires.

After Monday's barrage across Ukraine of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said "the energy infrastructure has once again become the target of Russian terrorists" and urged Ukraine's allies to provide it with long-range weapons and permission to use them on targets inside Russia.

President Joe Biden called Monday's Russian attack on energy infrastructure "outrageous" and said he had "reprioritized U.S. air defense exports so they are sent to Ukraine first." He also said the U.S. was "surging energy equipment to Ukraine to repair its systems and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine's energy grid."

The Russian Defense Ministry said the attacks used "long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones against critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operation of Ukraine's military-industrial complex. All designated targets were hit."

In Russia, meanwhile, officials reported four Ukrainian missiles were shot down over the Kursk region.

The fighting in the region has raised concerns about the nuclear power plant there. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi arrived inspected the plant on Tuesday, but did not immediately give a public assessment.