Several dozen localities in the Kharkiv region, in northeastern Ukraine, ordered this Thursday, August 10, the evacuation of their inhabitants in the face of the advance of the Russian army, which, on the offensive, says “improve your positions”.
The Russian army had been driven out of the city of Kupyansk and its surroundings, which it had occupied since the start of the invasion, by a Ukrainian lightning counter-attack in September 2022. For several weeks, it has been in this area that it has gone back on the offensive, regularly claiming territorial gains. “In the direction of Kupyansk, the assault units of the ‘Western’ combat groups during offensive actions improved their positions on the front line,” the Russian Defense Ministry said again on Thursday in its statement. daily report.
Faced with this progress, a decree signed by the local authorities ordered the evacuation of 37 localities in the district of Kupyansk, an important communication hub. These are mainly villages located near the front, on the left bank of the Oskil River. The administration of Kupyansk, a city of around 25,000 inhabitants before the war, recommended in the morning that its inhabitants evacuate in the direction of Kharkiv, the regional capital, in particular, because of “the difficult security situation and the the increase in the number of bombings”.
Poland deploys 10,000 troops to border with Belarus
Poland plans to deploy some 10,000 soldiers to protect its eastern border with Belarus, an ally of Moscow, as a “deterrent”. “It will be about 10,000 soldiers, 4,000 of whom will be directly engaged in operations to support the border police and 6,000 others as reinforcements”, declared this Thursday, August 10, Mariusz Blaszczak, Polish Minister for Defense.
Russia shoots down 13 drones targeting Crimea and Moscow
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it shot down 13 Ukrainian drones, including 11 near Crimea and two heading towards Moscow. These new attacks come at a time when territories controlled by Russia are increasingly targeted.
“Two drones that were flying towards the city of Moscow were destroyed,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram. One of the missiles targeting the capital was shot down by Russian air defenses in the Kaluga region, south-west of Moscow, the second in the Odintsovsky district, in the Moscow region, the ministry reported, accusing Kiev for launching these devices.
Also in Crimea, “near the city of Sevastopol, two drones were hit by anti-aircraft defense devices in service, nine others were neutralized by electronic warfare means and crashed into the Black Sea before hit the target,” according to the Department of Defense. No casualties or damage were reported, either near Moscow or in Crimea, the ministry said.
Two dead in strike on Zaporizhia
Two people were killed and seven were injured on August 9 in a Russian strike on Zaporizhia, a large city in southern Ukraine, the Interior Ministry said. “Initially, the reports were of three deaths. Fortunately, one person was resuscitated,” he said on Telegram.
The previous death toll of three was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who released a video showing a damaged church, with flames and smoke in its courtyard, as well as another building on fire. “Rescuers quickly extinguished the fire,” the ministry said.
One dead in the bombing of a Russian village
A civilian was killed and four others were injured in the bombardment of the Russian village of Gorkovsky, near the border between Russia and Ukraine, the governor of the Belgorod region announced on August 9. “Gorkovsky was the target of shelling by Ukrainian forces. Five shells exploded in the center of the village, near the school,” he said on Telegram.
A man died after being struck by shrapnel. Three men and a woman, victim of a concussion, were also hospitalized. Bombings of Russian villages near the border were very rare for more than a year after the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, but they have been increasing for several months, particularly in the regions of Belgorod and from Kursk.
Russia will respond “adequately” to Western threats on its borders
Threats from Western countries to Russia’s borders “require a rapid and adequate response”, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on August 9, citing support for Ukraine or Stockholm’s membership among them. and Helsinki to NATO.
During a meeting in front of senior army officials, Sergei Shoigu detailed at length the “threats to military security” from Russia, which he said “have multiplied in the western and northwestern directions. ” these last years. “These threats […] require a quick and adequate response. We will discuss the necessary measures to neutralize them during the meeting and take the appropriate decisions,” he continued in the speech.