Ukraine claims to control 1,000 km² of Russian territory

Ukraine claimed control of 1,000 km2 on Monday, August 12² of Russian territory in the Kursk border region, nearly a week after launching an armed incursion there. It is the largest military operation ever carried out on its enemy's territory since the conflict began in February 2022.

“We continue to conduct offensive operations in the Kursk region. At present, we control about 1,000 km² from the territory of the Russian Federation”said Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky at a meeting with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.

At least twelve civilians were killed and 121 injured, including ten children, in this Ukrainian armed penetration, denounced, on Monday, the acting governor of the Kursk oblast, Alexei Smirnov, during a meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “To date, 121,000 [personnes] have left or have been evacuated” of the region, Mr. Smirnov added, while twenty-eight localities are currently under Ukrainian control according to him. He explained that the evacuation zone of civilians had been expanded. According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, more than fifty regions of the country are ready to receive the inhabitants who have had to leave their homes.

Mr. Smirnov explained that the Ukrainian operation, which the Russian army is trying to repel, extends over an area twelve kilometers deep and forty kilometers wide. While the Russian army claims to inflict heavy losses on the Ukrainian forces, the acting governor assessed the situation on Sunday ” difficult “.

In the face of the invasion, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday afternoon that it had reinforced “the grouping of troops and the formation of reserves” in the Kursk region. “The supply of fuel and lubricants is carried out by tanker trucks to the refueling areas on the ground, twenty-four hours a day”specifies a press release. This information could not, however, be independently verified.

Vladimir Putin himself declared that he wanted “to expel” Ukrainian forces from Russia. “The enemy is seeking to improve its position in the event of future negotiations”he denounced. “Another obvious goal is to sow discord and discord in our society, to intimidate people, to destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society.”Mr Putin continued.

US Senate delegation to kyiv

Meanwhile, on Monday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal discussed with visiting US senators his country's needs for strengthening its air defense. “Maintaining bipartisan support in the United States is important to us”, did he write about Xwhile meeting with Lindsey Graham (Republican Party) and Richard Blumenthal (Democratic Party). “I told them about our needs in strengthening the air defense system and our priorities in implementing reforms.”he added. “We appreciate the unprecedented support of the American government and people in the struggle for freedom and independence of Ukraine.” On his Telegram channelhe also returned to the details of this meeting and recalled that the first F-16 planes had arrived in Ukraine and “that American assistance in training Ukrainian pilots is extremely valuable.”

In the evening, the Ukrainian president said on Telegram having reminded the US Senate delegation of the need to authorize the use of long-range missiles “to end this war” with Russia.

In addition to the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces attacked the Russian oblast of Belgorod with forty-two drones on Monday morning, according to the governor of the administrative region, injuring several people and damaging buildings. On the night of Sunday to Monday, the Russian army had claimed on his Telegram channel to have some “destroyed” eighteen drones in three western Russian oblasts (Kursk, Belgorod and Voronezh), without mentioning any possible damage or injuries.

Also on Monday, Russia bombed the Kherson region of Ukraine, killing one person and injuring eleven, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, reported. on his Telegram channelAccording to him, the Russian military shelled educational institutions and a store, as well as residential areas, including an apartment building and fifteen private houses. It also damaged gas pipelines, warehouses, garages, private cars and public transport.

Vadym Filachkinthe Ukrainian head of the military administration of Donetsk Oblast, reported on his Telegram channel on Monday evening that two people had been killed in Ukrainsk, two in Kostiantynivka, and one in Toretsk during the past day.

A Ukrainian offensive with blurred contours

It is difficult to know the precise objectives of Ukraine's current offensive in Kursk, as the Kiev authorities have remained tight-lipped about the operation. However, last week, Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the incursion and explained that its aim was to increase the cost of the war for Moscow: “The more pressure is put on Russia – the aggressor that brought war to Ukraine – the closer peace will be”he said.

Especially since, for several weeks, the Ukrainian president began to mention negotiations with Moscow. It is therefore not excluded that this incursion is intended to give more weight to kyiv in this balance of power.

According to military experts, the aim of the Ukrainian incursion could also be to create dissension within the Russian government and force the redeployment of troops in order to ease the pressure exerted by Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Konrad Muzyka, a military analyst at the Polish military think tank Rochan Consulting, speaks of a “daring operation” in a note published on Wednesday. According to the expert, it could be a success if it allowed to reduce Russian attacks in the Donetsk oblast. That it “creates dilemmas for Moscow, allows kyiv to maintain a presence in Kursk Oblast and provides a better negotiating position in the future.”