WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Russia battles Ukrainian troops for third day after shock incursion
Russian forces were battling Ukrainian troops for a third day on Thursday after they smashed through the Russian border in the Kursk region, an audacious attack on the world's biggest nuclear power that has forced Moscow to call in reserves.
In one of the biggest Ukrainian attacks on Russia since the war began in February 2022, around 1,000 Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of Aug. 6 with tanks and armoured vehicles, covered in the air by swarms of drones and pounding artillery, according to Russian officials.
Heavy fighting was reported near the town of Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine, raising concerns about a possible sudden stop to transit flows to Europe.
The incursion has come as a shock to Russia, nearly 2-1/2 years after President Vladimir Putin sent his army into Ukraine.
Putin has cast the Ukrainian offensive as a "major provocation". Sergei Mironov, the leader of a Kremlin-loyal political party, called it a "terrorist attack" and "the invasion of an internationally recognised foreign territory".
Kursk's regional acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, said thousands of residents had been evacuated.
The White House said the United States - Ukraine's biggest backer - had no prior knowledge of the attack.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Ukraine's move on the Kursk region was consistent with U.S. policy.
"They are taking actions to protect themselves from attacks that are coming from a region that are within the U.S. policy of where they can operate, our weapons, our systems, our capabilities," Singh told reporters.
She said Ukraine's move was not escalatory because "Ukraine is doing what it needs to do to be successful on the battlefield."
Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that the army and the Federal Security Service (FSB) had halted Ukraine's advance and were battling Kyiv's units in the Kursk region.
"Units of the Northern group of forces, together with the FSB of Russia, continue to destroy armed formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sudzhensky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian military has remained silent on the Kursk offensive, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the Ukrainian army on Thursday for its ability "to surprise" and achieve results. He did not explicitly reference Kursk.
Some Russian bloggers said Ukraine's forces were pushing towards the Kursk nuclear power station, which lies about 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Sudzha.
Yuri Podolyaka, a popular Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said that there were intense battles about 30 km from the Soviet-era nuclear plant, which supplies a large swathe of southern Russia with power.
CRITICAL JUNCTURE
Ukraine's energy minister said gas transit via Sudzha was functioning, despite reports of hostilities there. Most EU nations have reduced dependence on Russian gas, but Austria still receives most of its gas via Ukraine.
The Center for Information Resilience (CIR), a non-profit open-source analysis organisation, said it was unable to visually confirm any damage to the gas metering station as a result of the incursion, but had verified significant damage to the border checkpoint about 500 metres (550 yards) to the south.
"This, combined with footage verified by CIR of several Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian soldiers near the entrance of the gas metering plant, makes it likely that the plant has been affected by the Ukrainian incursion, however, the level of damage cannot be verified at this time," it said.
The battles come at a crucial juncture in the conflict, the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two. Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could weaken if Republican Donald Trump wins the November presidential election.
Trump has said he would end the war, and both Russia and Ukraine are keen to gain the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield.
Ukraine wants to pin down Russian forces, which control 18% of its territory, though the strategic significance of the border offensive was not immediately clear.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the Ukrainian attack was an attempt to force Moscow to divert resources from the front and to show the West that Ukraine could still fight.
As a result of the Kursk attack, Medvedev said, Russia should expand its war aims to include taking all of Ukraine.
He said Moscow's "Special Military Operation" should acquire an "openly extraterritorial character", with Russian troops moving on Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolayiv, Kyiv "and beyond".
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russian troops destroy first British-made Spartan armored vehicle in Ukraine operation
Russian troops destroyed the first British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian army over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center units "destroyed a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier" in their area of responsibility over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.
Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes Ukrainian army in Kursk, Sumy, Kharkov Regions
Russia’s Battlegroup North struck Ukrainian troops in the borderline Kursk Region and Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov Regions and inflicted roughly 415 casualties on the enemy over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup North units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 22nd and 25th mechanized, 36th marine infantry, 88th, 103rd and 123rd territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Zhuravka, Belovody and Yunakovka in the Sumy Region, Volchansk in the Kharkov Region and Daryino in the Kursk Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 415 personnel, four tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 14 armored personnel carriers, 12 pickup trucks, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 460 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup West improved its tactical position and inflicted more than 460 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 14th, 44th, 67th and 116th mechanized, 3rd assault, 110th and 241st territorial defense and 1st National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Novoyegorovka and Tabayevka in the Kharkov Region, Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Novosadovoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 116th mechanized brigade," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 460 personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, a Kozak armored combat vehicle, a US-made MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle, 13 motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, two Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launchers and a Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 660 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup South struck six Ukrainian brigades and inflicted roughly 660 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup South units gained more advantageous frontiers and positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd, 24th and 67th mechanized, 5th and 10th assault and 10th mountain assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar, Grigorovka, Ostroye, Ivano-Daryevka and Viyemka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repulsed two counterattacks by formations of the Ukrainian army’s 5th assault brigade," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 660 personnel, two armored personnel carriers, including a US-made M113 armored troop carrier, nine motor vehicles, two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a British-made 155mm AS-90 self-propelled artillery gun, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, a British-made 105mm L119 artillery gun and two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 360 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 360 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Center units continue conducting active operations. They inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 1st tank, 31st, 32nd and 117th mechanized, 95th air assault, 109th and 111th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Nikolayevka, Tarasovka, Toretsk, Grodovka and Panteleimonovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the enemy’s 25th air assault and 142nd infantry brigades," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 360 personnel, a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 105 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 105 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy infantry fighting vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup East units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized and 58th motorized infantry brigades in areas near the settlements of Vodyanoye and Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an enemy assault group," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 105 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, a British-made 155mm FH70 towed howitzer, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery gun, a US-made 155mm M198 howitzer and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr strikes three Ukrainian brigades over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr struck three Ukrainian army brigades and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault, 35th marine infantry and 124th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye Region, Novotyaginka and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 110 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a British-made 105mm L119 howitzer and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.
Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV assembly workshops over past day
Russian troops destroyed Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed workshops for the assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles and struck massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 164 areas," the ministry said.
Russian air defenses down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter, 80 UAVs over past day
Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet, 12 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 plane and destroyed 12 US-made HIMARS rockets and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 21 UAVs outside the area of the special military operation," the ministry said.
Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 636 Ukrainian warplanes, 278 helicopters, 29,402 unmanned aerial vehicles, 563 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,937 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,398 multiple rocket launchers, 12,976 field artillery guns and mortars and 24,528 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.
Reuters/Tass