Russian Ministry of ProtectionThe Russian Protection Ministry stated that Russian troops have recaptured 10 settlements captured by Ukrainian troops in a sudden invasion of Russia’s Kursk border area final month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russia had begun “counteroffensive operations, that are consistent with our plans in Ukraine.”
Russia stated its “Northern Forces” had recaptured settlements in two days within the space round Snagost, on the western aspect of the world captured by Ukraine in a marketing campaign launched on August 6.
The primary signal of a counteroffensive got here from Chechen particular forces commander Maj. Gen. Apti Alaudinov, who stated Ukraine’s six brigades had suffered heavy casualties.
A Ukrainian officer combating within the Kursk area advised the BBC that the Russian counteroffensive had begun a long way west of Sudja.
“The combating may be very fierce and the state of affairs is just not favorable for us in the meanwhile,” stated the officer, who spoke on situation of anonymity.
The plain goal of the Ukrainian offensive is to distract Russia from its advance in japanese Ukraine. It now claims as a lot as 1,300 sq. kilometers (500 sq. miles) of Russian territory.
Nonetheless, Russian troops proceed to occupy villages in japanese Ukraine and method the strategic city of Pokrovsk.
Analysts on the Institute for the Examine of Battle stated the dimensions, scope and potential prospects of Russia’s counterattack had been unclear and it was too early to attract any conclusions.
A social media account related to the Ukrainian Brigade stated Russian forces launched a shock assault close to Snagost and that Ukrainians had been combating again.
Russian navy professional Anatoly Matvichuk advised the Moscow Komsomolskaya newspaper that greater than 100 sq. kilometers of territory had been recaptured and “the enemy’s reserves, reinforcements and logistical provides can now not attain the Kursk area.” .
The Russian navy was stunned by the size and depth of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk area early final month.
Whereas Moscow was alarmed by the convenience with which Ukrainian troops captured cities and villages akin to Sudja, President Vladimir Putin stated practically a month later that they’d failed.
He stated the Ukrainian military had tried to make Russia nervous, “dashing troops from one area to a different and blocking our offensive in key areas, particularly within the Donbas.”
Not solely was it ineffective, Putin argued that the Ukrainian offensive solely aided Moscow’s “important objective,” which he believed was the seize of the Donbass—Ukraine’s industrial areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Sumy ProcuratorateRussian troops are at present just some kilometers away from Pokrovsk and its neighboring city of Mirnohrad, with heavy combating reported on the street resulting in Pokrovsk.
An overpass between the 2 cities was destroyed on Thursday, and the pinnacle of the Donetsk area stated water strains to Pokrovsk had additionally been lower, though he stated the city had a number of wells.
In the meantime, a Russian drone strike wounded 14 folks within the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop, a key hub utilized by Kiev to arrange for the Kursk marketing campaign.
The prosecutor of the Sumy border district posted images exhibiting broken condominium buildings within the city. Konotop’s energy provide was disrupted as a result of strike, and officers stated power infrastructure was severely broken.
