Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory continues to make gains, with Kyiv announcing its troops have taken Sudzha, a Russian town of around 5,500 people six miles inside the border, the Associated Press reports. Ukraine isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon either: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zylenskyy announced the army would set up a regional command center in the town.
Ukraine’s attack in the Kursk region reportedly came as a surprise to the Kremlin and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 civilians from the area. It also prompted Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of Russia-aligned Belarus, to plead for Russia and Ukraine to start peace negotiations. Lukashenko repeatedly implored Kyiv to remain peaceful towards Belarus, which moved thousands of troops to its border with Ukraine in case Kyiv opts to expand operations.