kyiv hopes the military operation, which began on August 6, will change the dynamics of the more than two-year-old conflict, but Kiev officials have stressed that the goal of the operation is not to occupy Russia.
Second week of the Ukrainian offensive in the Russian Kursk region. kyiv’s troops have destroyed a strategically important bridge over the Seim River, used by the Kremlin to supply its troops, and its destruction could hamper their efforts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops were strengthening their positions in Kursk and called the captured territories an “exchange fund,” implying that they could be exchanged for Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow.
kyiv has repeatedly said it does not want to occupy Russia. “Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Podolyak said one of the main goals of the raid on Russia was to convince Moscow to negotiate “on our terms.”
This is Ukraine’s advance in Kursk
He Ukrainian Army chief Oleksandr Syrskiassures that in some areas “advances of one to three kilometers have been made towards the enemy.”
Zelensky asked about the capture of members of the Russian services to exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners. Syrskyi assured the president that the ongoing battles would fuel the call “exchange fund.”
a bold Ukrainian military push in the Russian Kursk region saw kyiv forces seize several villages, take hundreds of prisoners and force the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians in what became the largest attack against Russia since World War II.
“We see that the occupier is suffering losses and this is useful, very useful for our defense. It is about destroying the logistics of the Russian army and emptying its reserves,” Zelensky said in his usual late-night speech.
“Must inflict maximum damage to all Russian positions and we are doing so. I thank each of our warriors for his precision, I thank them for his strength and endurance.”
As the Ukrainian advance continues, authorities in the Russian region of Belgorodon the border with Ukraine, They said they will evacuate five villages starting Mondays.
“Starting August 19, we will close access to five settlements, expel residents and help them take away their property,” Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on the social messaging app Telegram, naming the small villages nearby. of the border.
Russia gains territory in eastern Ukraine
On the opposite front, Russian forces are also gaining ground in eastern Ukraine. Moscow said on Friday that his troops had captured Serhiivkathe latest in a series of cities claimed in recent weeks.
The latest offensives bring the Russians closer to the city of Pokrovsk, a vital logistics center that lies on one of the main supply routes to Ukrainian troops along the Eastern Front. Pokrovsk is located northwest of the Russian-controlled Donetsk region, which has been under Ukrainian fire since Friday morningwith several civilians injured.
Ukraine Destroys Strategic Bridge in Kursk: A Devastating Blow to Russian Logistics
The Ukrainian Air Force has carried out a precision strike against a strategic bridge in the Russian Kursk region, Commander Mikola Oleshchuk reported via Telegram. This attack represents a significant blow to Russian military logistics in the areademonstrating Ukraine’s growing ability to conduct high-impact operations in enemy territory.
The destroyed bridge was located over the Seim River, north of Glushkovo, in the Kursk region. Its strategic location made it a crucial point for the movement of Russian troops and supplies in the area. The destruction of this vital infrastructure poses a major obstacle to Russian military operations in the region.
Experts on the conflict suggest that The attack was carried out using high-precision guided aerial bombs. The most likely options are the American-made JDAM-ER or the French-made AASM Hammer. The use of these advanced weapons indicates a qualitative leap in Ukraine’s offensive capabilities and its access to cutting-edge Western military technology.
A video released shows the exact moment of the attack, capturing a massive explosion that a large part of the bridge collapsed. The images, presumably recorded by a drone, reveal the magnitude of the destruction and the precision of the attack. Additionally, four previous impact points are observed, suggesting that the bridge may have been the target of previous attacks, possibly with HIMARS missiles.
Commander Oleshchuk, in his statements, emphasized the active participation of Ukrainian aviation in combat operations in the Kursk region.