Putin’s troops defeated, 74 settlements captured

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Ukraine says it has captured 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region, in its biggest cross-border offensive or attack since the start of the war, and continues to expand control with additional gains of 1 to 3 kilometers in the last 24 hours.

The extraordinary operation of thousands of Ukrainian troops in western Russia has brought Ukraine its biggest win since 2022, after months of difficulties.

However, this Ukrainian statement differs from reports from the Russian side, where Major General Apti Alaudinov said that Ukrainian troops had been stopped, while the Russian Ministry of Defense said that attacks on towns around 26 to 28 km from the border to send back.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv forces had captured Russian soldiers who may have been part of a prisoner-of-war exchange for captured Ukrainian fighters.

“Despite difficult and intense fighting, our troops continue to advance in the Kursk region, and our ‘exchange funds’ are growing. ReutersWednesday (14/8/2024).

Zelensky also asked his commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to continue developing key measures in this work. “Everything is going according to plan,” replied Syrskyi, without giving further details.

The operation differs from last year’s much-talked-about counter-operation but ultimately failed to penetrate Russia’s well-prepared defensive lines.

Kursk regional governor Alexei Smirnov called on residents to be patient and show strong character amid the unresolved crisis.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed an “appropriate” response to Ukraine and accused Kyiv’s “Western masters” of supporting the attack. At the UN, Russia criticized Kyiv’s allies for not condemning the attack.

On the other hand, the United States said that Ukraine’s actions were defensive and consistent with US policy, although the White House said that it was not involved in the planning or preparation of the operation.

Ukraine has described the operation as a defensive measure, saying its forces have taken control of an area used by Russia to launch more than 2,000 cross-border attacks since June.

“Unlike Russia, Ukraine does not need other people’s land. Ukraine is not interested in taking the Kursk region, but we want to protect the lives of our people,” said a spoke the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhii Tykhyi.

Movement of Russian forces

On the eastern front, Russian forces have been trying to advance for months on several fronts in the Donetsk region, taking advantage of larger troop numbers to slowly approach cities such as Pokrovsk, which is controlled by Kyiv. Tykhyi said the operation in Kursk is helping the front line by preventing Russia from moving additional units into the Donetsk region and complicating their military logistics.

Despite the strengthening of Russian troops in the southern regions and possibly including Kursk, the number of attacks does not show a decline, and it is too early to draw conclusions.

On Tuesday, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas, who was visiting Kyiv, said Russia was moving troops from the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad to reinforce Kursk.

Black Bird Group analyst Pasi Paroinen said Monday that Russia is relying heavily on nearby military units to try to push Ukrainian forces back so far. However, Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation researcher Serhii Kuzan said Ukraine’s attack was a “disproportionate” response to a war of attrition that Russia was trying to force the expulsion of Ukrainian troops and resources.

At the same time, the Ukrainian military restricted civilian movement within the 20 km northeastern border zone due to “increased combat intensity” and the activation of Russian sabotage and intelligence agencies.

(luck/luck)

Putin’s troops are rampant, signs of Russian influence are growing brighter