A probable invasion of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, which Ukraine has not officially commented on, could lead to the creation of a buffer zone on Russian territory.
The next increase in the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation at first looks like an ordinary attempt to break a sabotage and reconnaissance group, which happened last year. However, everything became more serious. Ukraine has not officially commented on the events in the Kursk region, but foreign media and independent analysts are talking about the formation of an offensive by regular units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Advancing deeper into Russia
Russian military bloggers reported that units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces established control over the settlements of Obukhovka, Pokrovskoye, Tolsty Lug and Lyubimovka in the Kursk region. “In the southeast, the enemy captured the Sudzha gas measuring station,” wrote the Rybar telegram channel.
There has been no independent confirmation of this information. The Ministry of Defense of Russia, like Ukraine, did not comment on the alleged seizure of populated areas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the fighting on the borders of the Kursk region a provocation. Putin also ordered the start of resettlement of residents of the Kursk region.
Reuters writes that on August 6, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu announced the alleged seizure of 420 km² of Ukrainian territory since June 14. “Ukraine recovered on August 6. The fighting continues until the evening of Wednesday, August 7, as Ukrainian forces advanced to the northwest from the border town of Sudzha, 530 km southwest of Moscow,” the agency wrote.
Reuters recalled that Sudzha is the last operating transshipment point for Russian gas exports from the Russian Federation to Europe via Ukraine. And just 60 km northeast of Sudzha is the Russian Kursk nuclear power plant.
But the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, promised Putin to go to the border of the Russian state after the successful fall of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. In an emergency meeting, the military chief said that the Russians allegedly managed to stop the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces deeper into Russian territory.
Mass surrender
OSINT analysts on Wednesday, August 7, showed a photo in which Russian military personnel are likely being transported to Ukrainian territory near the Sudzha checkpoint in the Kursk region, reports the Russian service of Radio Liberty .
According to journalists, the photo shows Russian military personnel guarding the checkpoint.
According to journalists, the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly captured “several dozen” military personnel. CIT investigators believe the geolocated images may include Russian conscripts.
The Ukrainian state project I Want to Find said they knew about “many captured military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces” in the Kursk region. They say that we are talking about both conscripts and contract soldiers.
World reaction
White House National Security Advocate John Kirby
noted that so far the United States has not received information from Ukrainian officials about the events in the Kursk region.
Kirby also noted that the United States has not changed its decision about allowing Ukraine to use American weapons to fight Russian aggression on its borders.
Kirby also said that the Ukrainian operations should be criticized by the Ukrainian side, and that the task of the US is to provide assistance to Ukraine: “Let the Ukrainians talk about their operations, one way or the other others, it is most appropriate… We will focus on making sure they have what they need, to protect ourselves… I will add that we will go back to our colleagues in Ukraine to have some understanding. ”
“The unexpected offensive of Ukrainian forces in the border region of the Kursk region seems to indicate that Kyiv is trying to turn the tide. [в противостоянии] including Moscow. But the move, which has not been officially acknowledged by Ukrainian leaders, has also drawn criticism from analysts who question the wisdom of deploying overstretched Ukrainian forces on Russian soil,” wrote of the Financial Times.
The Guardian said that earlier reports from the Kursk region and data from social media “suggest that the Ukrainian offensive is significant, although it is unclear how long it can be sustained.”
The Washington Post emphasizes that if preliminary data on the scale of the cross-border raid in the Kursk region is confirmed, it “could bring Russian reserves to the area, weakening Moscow’s offensive operations in some parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where Russian forces have stepped up attacks to make the most of the summer fighting season.”
At the same time, it could mean that Ukraine’s already stretched and short-manned forces will now have to extend their defense line, which is more than 1,000 kilometers long.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.