On Thursday, August 15, Ukraine claimed new advances in its offensive in the Russian region of Kursk, where Russia claims to have retaken a village while maintaining its pressure further south on the Donbass front.
Key facts:
⇒ kyiv claims new advances in the Russian region of Kursk
⇒ British tanks used by kyiv on Russian soil
⇒ Seven civilians dead following Russian strikes in three Ukrainian regions
kyiv claims new advances in Russia’s Kursk region
Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrsky claimed on Thursday an advance of 35 kilometers in depth for total control of 1,150 km2 and 82 localities, eight more than on Tuesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian troops had completely “liberated” Sudja, a Russian town of 5,500 people located about ten kilometers from the border. In a sign of the Ukrainians’ intention to establish themselves in the long term, General Syrsky announced the creation of a military administration in the region, responsible for day-to-day affairs, logistics and ensuring security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, August 15, that his forces had taken complete control of the Russian city of Sudja, in the Kursk region, the scene of a surprise offensive by kyiv’s forces for more than a week.
© / Paz PIZARRO, Valentin RAKOVSKY, Cléa PECULIER / AFP
British tanks used by kyiv on Russian soil
British media claimed on Thursday that Ukrainians were using Challenger 2 heavy tanks supplied by the United Kingdom during its offensive in Russia.
Without confirming this information, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhailo Podoliak, argued on Thursday that the recent “changes on the front line” showed that kyiv was “effectively” using “military and financial aid” received from abroad. The Ukrainian authorities have given various reasons for explaining the assault on Russia: to force Moscow to withdraw troops from other parts of the front, to create a “buffer zone” on Russian territory against bombing or to use it as a bargaining chip during future negotiations.
Caught off guard by highly mobile Ukrainian motorized formations that easily crossed the border, the Russian army has since assured that it has sent reinforcements and claimed on Thursday to have retaken a village, that of Kroupets. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Beloussov announced on Thursday the allocation of “additional resources” in the Belgorod region, neighboring that of Kursk. The situation there is “extremely tense,” according to its governor, Viatcheslav Gladkov.
Seven civilians dead in Russian strikes in three Ukrainian regions
The pressure does not seem to be easing in eastern Ukraine, where most of the fighting is still taking place. Russia claimed on Thursday the capture of the village of Ivanivka, about fifteen kilometers from Pokrovsk, an important logistical hub. According to the commander of the Ukrainian army, the situation on the eastern and southern fronts remains “difficult but under control”. On Telegram, the Pokrovsk administration nevertheless called on the population to evacuate on Thursday, stressing that the enemy was advancing “at a rapid pace”.
Russian strikes also continue. Ukrainian local authorities reported during the day the death of three civilians in the Donetsk region, two in the Kharkiv region (northeast) and two in the Kherson region (south).
US approves $5 billion missile sale to Germany
The United States announced on Thursday that it had approved the sale to Germany of some 600 missiles and equipment for its Patriot air defense systems, worth $5 billion. As part of its military aid to Ukraine, Germany had donated several of its Patriot systems to kyiv.
The sale by Washington “will strengthen the foreign policy and national security of the United States by reinforcing the security of a NATO ally that is also an important force for economic and political stability in Europe,” the US Defense Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. The transaction “will improve Germany’s capabilities to address current and future threats and increase the defensive capabilities of its armed forces,” the DSCA added.