Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that his country's troops had taken full control of Sudzha, the largest Russian town to fall to Ukraine's forces since the start of their cross-border incursion more than a week ago.

Although it had a prewar population of only around 5,000 people, Sudzha is the administrative center for the border area of Russia's Kursk region and is larger than any of the other towns or settlements that Ukraine says it has taken since the incursion began on Aug. 6.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was setting up a military command office in Sudzha, which suggests that Ukraine might plan to remain in the Kursk region long-term — or just signal Moscow that it may intend to do so. He didn't elaborate on what functions the office might handle, though he said earlier this week that Ukraine would be distributing humanitarian aid to Sudzha residents.

Russia didn't immediately respond to Zelenskyy's claims, but its defense ministry said earlier Thursday that Russian forces had blocked Ukrainian attempts to take several other communities.

The surprise Ukrainian incursion has reframed the war and caused chaos in the Kursk region, leading to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, according to Russian authorities, and the capture of at least 100 Russian troops, according to Kyiv.

Zelenskyy has said one of the reasons for the incursion was to protect neighboring Ukrainian regions. “The more Russian military presence is destroyed in the border regions, the closer peace and real security will be for our state. The Russian state must be responsible for what it has done,” he said Tuesday.

Russia has seen previous raids of its territory in the war, but the Kursk incursion is notable for its size, speed, the reported involvement of battle-hardened Ukrainian brigades, and the length of time they have stayed inside Russia. As many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved, according to Western military analysts.

The incursion also marks the first time foreign troops have invaded and held Russian territory since Nazi Germany did in World War II.

Although Russian military bloggers reported that Russian reserves sent to the Kursk region had slowed Ukrainian advances, questions remain over whether the incursion might force Moscow to move troops to Kursk from front-line positions in eastern Ukraine, where they've made slow but steady advances this year.

As Kyiv was trumpeting its gains in Kursk on Thursday, officials in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, which had a prewar population of about 60,000, warned civilians to evacuate ahead of rapidly approaching Russian troops, who were about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city's outskirts. If Russian troops capture Pokrovsk, where they’ve been trying to breach Ukrainian defenses for weeks, they would further advance toward their goal of capturing Ukraine's entire Donetsk region.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that Russia had withdrawn some forces, including infantry units, from Ukraine and was shifting them to Kursk, but that the U.S. didn't know how many troops were involved.

However, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to comment publicly, said it doesn't appear that Russia has moved a sufficient number of armored battalions or other types of combat power from the front line in Ukraine to Kursk, and that Moscow will need to shift more troops to repel Kyiv's forces.

Asked Thursday if the Pentagon was considering limiting any support to Ukraine in light of the latest incursion, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said it doesn’t affect what the U.S. is sending, but that, “you’ve seen us modify and give different capabilities over time, and we reserve that right to continue to do that.”

Russian military bloggers reported that small Ukrainian mechanized groups have continued to probe Russian defenses. And satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press on Thursday show that a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases damaged at least two hangars and other areas.

Images taken Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC show that two hangars at Borisoglebsk Air Base have been struck, with a field of debris around both. It was not immediately clear what purpose the hangars served. There also appeared to be potential damage to two fighter aircraft at the base.

Separately, at Savasleika Air Base, one burn mark could be seen just off the runway in images Wednesday, though there was no apparent damage to the fighter jets and other aircraft there.

As of Thursday, the Ukrainian military claimed to be holding more than 80 towns and settlements in the Kursk region.

Kursk's acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, on Thursday ordered the evacuation of the Glushkovo region, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Sudzha. The order suggests Ukrainian forces were gradually advancing toward the area.

At a facility receiving evacuees, Tatyana Anikeyeva told Russian state television about her ordeal fleeing from the fighting. “We were rushing from Sudzha. … We hid in the bushes. Volunteers were handing out water, food, bread to people on the go. The sound of the cannonade continued without any break. The house was shaking."

Evacuees milled around and waited in long lines for food and other supplies. One man stroked his pet dog and tried to comfort her, while saying that he felt nauseous and had no appetite.

Russia also declared a federal-level state of emergency in the Belgorod region, a day after a regional-level declaration was made for the area. The change in status suggests that officials believe the situation is worsening and hampering the region’s ability to deliver aid.

Ukraine’s chief military officer, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said earlier this week that Ukrainian forces had taken 1,000 square kilometers (about 390 square miles) of the Kursk region, though his claim couldn't be independently verified. The contact lines in Kursk have remained fluid, allowing both sides to maneuver easily, unlike the static front line in eastern Ukraine, where it has taken Russian forces months to achieve even incremental gains.

Russian officials have pushed back on Syrskyi's territorial claim. Speaking to reporters Wednesday at the U.N., Russia's deputy ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, called the incursion an “absolutely reckless and mad operation,” and said Ukraine's aim to force Russia to move its troops from eastern Ukraine is not happening because “we have enough troops there.”

Sudzha has a measuring station for Russian natural gas that flows through Ukrainian pipelines and a ccounts for about 3% of Europe’s imports. There has been no indication of any disruption to the gas flow.

This story was updated to correct the spelling of Pokrovsk.

Associated Press reporters Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, and Tara Copp and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Ukrainian serviceman ride atop a trophy tank after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A damaged Ukrainian tank returns from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People cover a roof with tarps after their house was hit by a Russian airstrike near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People cover a roof with tarps after their house was hit by Russian airstrike near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian serviceman ride atop a trophy tank after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Explosions are seen in the horizon after Russian airstrikes near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop a tank, bringing with them a sign reading "Lubimovka" village, after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen ride a motorcycle towards the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen disconnect cables from a tank after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop a tank after returning from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

An elderly woman walks along the road near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

In this photo taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, Russian soldiers load Giatsint-B self-propelled gun at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service Press Office, over 100 Russian prisoners of war captured by a Security Service special unit during one military action are seen in a shelter in Kursk region, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Ukrainian Security Service Press Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service Press Office, over 100 Russian prisoners of war captured by a Security Service special unit during one military action are seen in a shelter in Kursk region, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Ukrainian Security Service Press Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service Press Office, over 100 Russian prisoners of war captured by a Security Service special unit during one military action are seen in a shelter in Kursk region, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Ukrainian Security Service Press Office via AP)

A Ukrainian tank passes by a burning car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service Press Office, over 100 Russian prisoners of war captured by a Security Service special unit during one military action are seen in a shelter in Kursk region, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Ukrainian Security Service Press Office via AP)

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows damaged fighter jets at the Borisoglebsk Air Base in Russia after an attack by Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a damaged hangar at the Borisoglebsk Air Base in Russia after an attack by Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a damaged hangar at the Borisoglebsk Air Base in Russia after an attack by Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Borisoglebsk Air Base in Russia after an attack by Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

LONDON (AP) — Daniel Dubois didn't have to dethrone anyone to become a world heavyweight champion. So he has something to prove when he makes his first title defense before one of the biggest crowds in British boxing history.

If he successfully defends his IBF belt on Saturday by beating fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois might just transform himself into boxing’s next big thing.

“I’m getting used to the idea that I’m the world champion but I think I need to legitimize it by beating AJ," Dubois told The Associated Press in an interview. “That’s the way I do it and cement my name, cement my legacy in the sport of boxing.”

The 27-year-old Dubois was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.

He knows that most boxing fans — the British ones in particular — want to see Joshua become a three-time champion to set up a long-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.

But the hard-punching Dubois — a south London native who has been boxing since the age of 7 — has plans of his own.

“Make him quit, break him down, unleash hell on him,” Dubois said of his strategy for fight night.

Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 6-foot-5 (1.95-meter) Dubois has had obstacles to overcome on his path to Wembley.

He hopes to make the 34-year-old Joshua quit but Dubois himself had to answer questions about quitting after he took a knee and was counted out in the 10th round against Joe Joyce on November 2020. That was his first professional loss.

Dubois' left eye had been swollen shut — there was an orbital bone fracture and nerve damage.

He bounced back by winning four straight bouts to earn a title shot at Usyk last summer. The fight was held in Poland, where many Ukrainians have taken refuge because of Russia's invasion of their country.

With huge support from his compatriots, Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round. Boxing is never far from controversy and this fight had its share: Dubois had dropped the champion in the fifth round but the referee ruled it a low blow and allowed Usyk several minutes to recover.

Since then, Dubois responded with two knockout victories. Despite being comfortably ahead of 333-pound Jarrell Miller, Dubois piled on the pressure in the final round, getting the stoppage in the final seconds of the bout. Dubois bloodied Filip Hrgovic early and stopped the Croatian in the eighth round.

The impressive win over Hrgovic in early June gave Dubois the “interim” title weeks before Usyk relinquished the belt. It also means 20 of his 21 wins have come via knockouts. The only time he went to points was six years ago in his eighth professional fight.

Back in 2017, it was then 27-year-old Joshua who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title fight at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans.

Dubois says it's his turn.

“This is my time now, and I’m ready to take it with both hands, show the world what I’m all about," he said, pointing to a Usyk rematch as his next goal even though the Ukrainian has talked about returning to cruiserweight after his Dec. 21 rematch with Tyson Fury.

He also wants to make his family proud. His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 children in a household where sports and music dominated. Dubois says he doesn't play any instruments or sing though. His younger sister Caroline Dubois is also a successful pro boxer.

Officially, it’s the first time they’ll square off but Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session about a decade ago. It seems clear that Dubois caught Joshua — who two years earlier had won gold for Britain at the London Olympics — with a good punch, but beyond that it’s just rumors. Promoter Frank Warren has said that sparring session led him to sign Dubois.

“Sparring is sparring, this is a fight. It bears no relevance to today,” Dubois said. “It was good for me at the time, but I’m a new man, a new fighter now. I’ve put that behind me. I’m the man of the future.”

He suspects most of the crowd — and perhaps many of those watching on DAZN's streaming service — will be on AJ’s side.

“They probably will be overlooking me," he said. "It’s up to me to prove them wrong."

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

British boxer Anthony Joshua arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

FILE - Britain's Daniel Dubois, left, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk during their world heavyweight title fight at Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)

FILE - British former world champion Anthony Joshua, right, and MMA fighter Francis Ngannou fight during the heavyweight boxing showdown at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo, file)

British boxer Daniel Dubois arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

British boxer Daniel Dubois arrives at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)