President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated Ukrainian forces are persevering with to make progress in Russia’s Kursk area after launching a significant cross-border offensive 11 days in the past that caught the Kremlin’s army management off-guard and altered the dynamics of the 30-month struggle.
Following an replace from Ukraine’s high army commander, Colonel Basic Oleksandr Syrskiy, Zelenskiy stated in a publish on Telegram on August 17 that Ukraine had been “strengthening” its positions within the Kursk area and stabilizing extra territory underneath its management.
Ukrainian forces have penetrated deep into Russian territory after sweeping over the border in a shock assault on August 6, capturing dozens of settlements.
The shock incursion, coming as Russia continues to advance in Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk area, seemingly strengthens Kyiv’s hand in any future peace negotiations.
WATCH: Ukrainian troops close to town of Toretsk say they imagine Russia must redirect assets again to its personal territory, however they’ve but to see a letup within the combating.
Russia claims to have annexed 4 Ukrainian areas — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya — along with the Crimean Peninsula. If Ukraine can proceed to carry components of Kursk and neighboring Russian areas, it may probably search to swap it for the allegedly annexed areas, specialists say.
The Kremlin has been embarrassed by the incursion, the primary international occupation of its territory since World Struggle II, and has accused NATO of serving to Ukraine plan the assault, an allegation Washington denies.
The Kremlin, which frames the struggle as one between Russia and the West, has typically hinted at escalation in what analysts say is an try to intimidate Washington so it refrains from supplying Ukraine with highly effective weapons, equivalent to long-range precision rockets and F-16s.
As Ukrainian forces continued their stunning advance in Kursk, Russia’s Overseas Ministry accused Ukraine of utilizing U.S.-made long-range rockets to destroy a key bridge within the Glushkov district within the Kursk area, killing within the course of “volunteers” serving to to evacuate civilians.
“For the primary time, the Kursk area was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, in all probability American HIMARS,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated late on August 16.
In response to Russian safety officers, the destruction of the bridge minimize off a part of the district, making it harder for civilian evacuation out of the area. Ukraine’s incursion has to date led to the evacuation of greater than 120,000 civilians, based on Russian authorities.
By comparability, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pressured as many as 7 million Ukrainians to flee their houses. Russia has additionally killed 1000’s of civilians via drone and missile strikes on nonmilitary websites like houses, purchasing facilities, and railroad stations.
Stay Briefing: Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL’s Stay Briefing offers you all the newest developments on Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Western army assist, international response, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine, click on right here.
Kyiv claims to have taken management of 82 settlements over an space of 1,150 sq. kilometers since its shock cross-border incursion on August 6.
The USA to date deems the incursion a protecting transfer that justifies the usage of U.S. weaponry, based on officers in Washington.
Nonetheless, Ukraine nonetheless faces Western restrictions on the usage of some weapon programs inside Russia, together with long-range missiles just like the U.S.-made ATACMS. The Biden administration views the usage of ATAMCS inside Russia as escalatory. There was no indication from Western capitals that Ukraine has violated these guidelines through the course of the struggle.
The Instances of London reported on August 17 that america can also be blocking Britain from supplying its highly effective, long-range Storm Shadow cruise missile. The U.Okay. despatched a corresponding request to america greater than a month in the past, however has not but acquired a response, the paper reported.
In a publish later within the day, Zelenskiy expressed remorse that the U.Okay. was proscribing the usage of Storm Shadows, saying long-range strike functionality “can be a matter of precept for us.” The Storm Shadow, which has a payload of 400 kilograms, can devastate targets greater than 300 kilometers away. Kyiv desires to make use of them to strike Russian air bases that home fighter jets pounding Ukrainian troops and cities.
“It’s essential that our companions take away boundaries that hinder us from weakening Russian positions in the best way this struggle calls for. Lengthy-range capabilities are the reply to probably the most vital strategic questions of this struggle,” he wrote.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on August 16 urged Washington and London to permit Ukraine to assault Russian territory with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles.
In a separate setback for Ukraine, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported on August 17 that Germany has halted any new monetary and army assist to Ukraine as a consequence of budgetary constraints.
In an August 5 letter to Protection Minister Boris Pistorius and Overseas Minister Annalena Berbock and seen by the information outlet, Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated new assist allocations can solely be made if financing is assured.
“Beginning as we speak, Olaf Scholz and the coalition authorities underneath his management are freezing monetary and thus army help for Ukraine,” Ingo Gadehens, a member of the opposition Christian Democrats, advised the information outlet.
Help that had beforehand been promised might be delivered. Going ahead, funds for Ukraine might be allotted from the income generated by Russia’s frozen property, the outlet reported.
Vitality Services Focused
In the meantime, Russia’s Protection Ministry accused Ukraine on August 17 of planning to assault the Kursk nuclear energy plant and blame it on Moscow.
Russia would reply harshly within the occasion of such “provocation,” Interfax information company quoted the ministry as saying.
In the meantime, Russian-installed officers on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear energy plant in southern Ukraine stated on August 17 {that a} Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive cost on a highway exterior the plant, endangering workers who use the highway.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused one another of sabotaging the operation of the plant, which was occupied by Russia quickly after it launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Final week, Zelenskiy accused Russia of inflicting a fireplace at a cooling tower of the plant, whereas Russian officers stated Kyiv was intentionally making an attempt to destroy the plant and sow “nuclear terror.”
Non-nuclear power services have been focused by either side through the struggle, with Russia damaging half of Ukraine energy services and Ukraine damaging greater than a dozen Russian refineries, some greater than as soon as.
Kyiv and Moscow have been to carry “oblique talks” subsequent week in Doha on halting assaults on power infrastructure nevertheless it has been postponed as a result of Kursk incursion, The Washington Publish reported on August 17, citing individuals acquainted with the developments.
Russia Plans Extra Evacuations
Ukrainian forces on August 17 broken one other bridge over the Seim River, limiting the power of Russia to produce its troops south of the river. One other highway bridge and a pontoon bridge stay however are coming underneath Ukrainian hearth.
Ukraine is searching for to seize the city of Korenevo, south of the river, to strengthen its place in Kursk.
Earlier this week, Ukraine introduced the seize of Sudzha, a city with a inhabitants of 5,000, the largest to fall to date within the incursion. Korenevo is barely larger in dimension.
Zelenskiy stated Ukraine will set up a command workplace in Sudzha to coordinate assist and army affairs.
Russian forces have to date struggled to mount an efficient response to the incursion, which is broadly seen as a significant morale increase for Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have already captured tons of of Russian troops, who Kyiv plans to make use of in a prisoner swap, Zelenskiy stated on August 17.
“By this morning, our nation’s ‘alternate fund’ has been replenished. I thank all our troopers and commanders who’re capturing Russian army personnel, thereby advancing the discharge of our warriors and civilians held by Russia,” he posted on social media.
Authorities in Russia’s Belgorod area bordering Ukraine and Kursk have stated they may evacuate 5 villages beginning subsequent week.
“From August 19, we’re closing entry to 5 settlements, eradicating residents and serving to them carry out their property,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov introduced on Telegram.
WATCH: Skepticism prevailed within the Ukrainian border metropolis of Sumy when locals have been requested about authorities plans to just accept refugees from Russia’s Kursk area.
Russian Strike, Ukraine Hack
Because it sought to beat again Ukrainian forces in Kursk, Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine.
Within the northeastern Sumy area, not less than two individuals have been wounded in a Russian missile strike early on August 17, based on emergency companies.
The missile hit a car parking zone close to a high-rise house constructing, setting not less than 10 automobiles on hearth and shattering the home windows and damaging the façade of the close by buildings, Ukrainian officers stated.
In a single day, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down all 14 Russian drones launched in an in a single day strike, the Ukrainian Air Power stated in an announcement early on August 17.
The Shahed drones have been downed over six Ukrainian areas within the south and middle of the nation, together with areas close to the capital, Kyiv, based on the assertion posted on Telegram.
In the meantime, Ukraine’s Predominant Intelligence Directorate stated its cyber-specialists along with the hacker group VO Workforce had efficiently infiltrated an Web supplier to an enterprise belonging to Russia’s nuclear weapons program.
In an August 17 assertion, the directorate stated they hacked Chelyabinsk Web supplier Vega, whose purchasers embody the All-Russian Scientific Analysis Institute of Technical Physics, disabling 1,173 switches and 10 servers.
“The knowledge on the Vega servers has been destroyed. Plenty of strategic enterprises of town have been left with out Web and communication companies for nearly every week,” the intelligence service reported.
RFE/RL couldn’t affirm the data.