Sudzha

Sudzha (Russian: Суджа, [ˈsudʐə]) is a town and the administrative center of Sudzhansky District in Kursk Oblast, Russia, located on the Sudzha and Oleshnya rivers 105 kilometers (65 mi) southwest of Kursk, the administrative center of the oblast. It has a population of 5,127 people. It is the natural gas exchange feeder where the Trans-Siberian pipeline meets the Brotherhood pipeline. The town was occupied by Ukrainian forces between August 15, 2024, and March 12, 2025, as a result of an incursion into the region. History In the Middle Ages, the territory formed part of the appanage principality of Rylsk, which was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before its final annexation by the Grand Principality of Moscow in the early modern period. Sudzha was founded in 1664. It was initially a town of the Sumy Regiment within Sloboda Ukraine, and was fortified with ramparts and a moat. In 1708 it was included within the Kiev Governorate, and in 1779, it became the seat of the Sudzhansky Uyezd within the Kursk Governorate. In 1870, the town had a population of 4,482 and the suburbs had a population of 5,624. In 1869, there were 393 craftsmen in the town, and in 1871 there were nine factories. In the late 19th century, the town hosted four annual fairs and two weekly markets. According to the 1897 Russian Empire census, the town had a population of 7,433, of which 61.2% spoke Ukrainian, 37.2% spoke Russian, 1.2% spoke Yiddish and 0.3% spoke Polish. In November–December 1918, Sudzha was the seat of the Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government of Ukraine before its relocation to Belgorod. It formed part of the Ukrainian SSR until 1922, when it was transferred to the Russian SFSR. During World War II, Sudzha was occupied by German troops from October 18, 1941, to March 3, 1943. Later in the 20th century, a natural gas pipeline transit station was established near Sudzha. A gas metering station was installed. As of 2024, the output was fed to the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline. Russo-Ukrainian War After the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline at Sudzha became the last remaining point at which natural gas flowed from Russia to Europe through Ukraine after the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. On June 4, 2023, Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian drone over Sudzha. Kursk offensive On August 6, 2024, fierce fighting broke out at the border of Kursk Oblast and around Sudzha as part of an incursion by Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian government confirmed the capture of the town on August 15 and announced the formation of a military administration in Ukrainian-occupied areas of Kursk Oblast. A statue of Vladimir Lenin in the town had been dismantled by August 16. On March 12, 2025, Russian state media published footage of Russian troops raising flags in the center of Sudzha. On the same day, it was reported that the town was once again under Russian control. Government Within the framework of administrative divisions, Sudzha serves as the administrative center of Sudzhansky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Sudzhansky District as the town of district significance of Sudzha. As a municipal division, the town of district significance of Sudzha is incorporated within Sudzhansky Municipal District as Sudzha Urban Settlement. Demographics The town's population has declined over the past few decades, from 7,487 in 1989 to 5,127 in 2021. Gallery References