44 votes

Ukraine offensive in Russia expands beyond Kursk region, soldiers say

Posted by skybrian
Tags: ukraine, russia, war, 2022 russian invasion of ukraine, military, soldiers, author.siobhan ogrady, author.tetiana burianova, author.david l stern, author.robyn dixon, source.the washington post, paywall
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/15/russia-ukraine-kursk-captured-soldiers/

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Title
Ukraine says it has taken 100 more Russian soldiers in Kursk offensive
Published
Aug 15 2024
Word count
574 words

14 comments

  1. [2]
    skybrian
    Link
    From the article: ... ... ...

    From the article:

    Three wounded Ukrainian soldiers, including one commander, described how after months of being deployed along the border, they were sent into Russia [at Kolotilovka] four days ago.

    The Russian troops in Belgorod appeared prepared for their arrival, the soldiers said, in contrast to the quick advances Ukrainian units made through Kursk. Although some had retreated, the area was fortified with dragon’s teeth antitank obstacles and heavily mined. Ukrainians came under intense attack by artillery, drones and aerial bombs almost immediately.

    The Ukrainians pushed forward about six miles, the soldiers said, seizing abandoned Russian troop positions. But the fighting remained intense. “All our group was injured the day we arrived,” Hacker said. Many Ukrainian troops were concussed or heavily wounded, while others were killed and had to be left behind, he said.

    ...

    Despite some losses, Ukrainian officials have seized on the momentum in Kursk, with military chief Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky announcing Thursday the appointment of a military commander for the region “to maintain law and order and ensure the basic needs of the population.” The announcement echoes Russia’s own moves to administer the parts of Ukraine it occupies. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to press toward the eastern city of Pokrovsk, with regional authorities on Thursday announcing mandatory civilian evacuation from the key rail hub.

    ...

    Ukrainian officials have said that a main reason for the surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was to halt cross-border missile attacks and shelling into Ukraine’s neighboring Sumy region.

    ...

    On Thursday, an additional district in the Kursk region, Glushkovo, with a population of 18,000, was evacuated, taking the total number ordered to evacuate to about 180,000.

    21 votes
    1. Raspcoffee
      Link Parent
      Sounds very much like a quick probe to me to see how the enemy reacted to their invasion of Kursk. The fact that Russia has, in less than two weeks, now proper border defences makes me wonder what...

      Sounds very much like a quick probe to me to see how the enemy reacted to their invasion of Kursk. The fact that Russia has, in less than two weeks, now proper border defences makes me wonder what they've been given up for this. Their manpower, like Ukraine, was already strained. And their logistics is well, performing as usual.

      They've continued their assault on Pokrovsk in the south too. So it doesn't seem like they're letting go of steam per se. We'll see, I guess.

      15 votes
  2. [2]
    KapteinB
    Link
    ANALYSIS: Disarming Belarus: Lukashenko Attempts to Keep Power by Weapons Transfers to Russia (Kyiv Post) Just tangentially related, but I didn't think it was worth its own post, so I'm posting it...

    ANALYSIS: Disarming Belarus: Lukashenko Attempts to Keep Power by Weapons Transfers to Russia (Kyiv Post)

    Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region poses difficult geopolitical challenges for the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, which require asymmetric responses.

    Just tangentially related, but I didn't think it was worth its own post, so I'm posting it here.

    11 votes
    1. Raspcoffee
      Link Parent
      Mmm, can't seem to find another source for your article. At the same time, there have been reports of North Korea supplying weapons to Russia in the past so I wouldn't be surprised by it....

      Mmm, can't seem to find another source for your article. At the same time, there have been reports of North Korea supplying weapons to Russia in the past so I wouldn't be surprised by it.

      Tangentially related to your tangentially related comment:

      Belarus' Lukashenko urges Russia and Ukraine to end war as Kursk incursion continues (Reuters)

      My guess is that Lukashenko is seeing the writing on the wall that this really poses a genuine risk of Putin's regime collapsing one way or another. And being Putin's beta boy toy effectively being a Russian buffer state with some autonomy, it would most likely be the end of his own regime one way or another.

      I can't see Ukraine wanting to dragging Belarus into this, or Belarus being dragged into this further.

      7 votes
  3. KapteinB
    Link
    Russian Personnel Losses Break 600,000 Mark, Says Ukraine (Kyiv Post)

    Russian Personnel Losses Break 600,000 Mark, Says Ukraine (Kyiv Post)

    Moscow’s 2022 invasion started with a 100,000-strong invasion force, and it is currently losing more than a thousand troops on the front daily amidst hostilities on multiple fronts.

    7 votes
  4. [4]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Video shows Ukraine turning the tables on Russia by dropping glide bombs on its territory (Business Insider)

    Video shows Ukraine turning the tables on Russia by dropping glide bombs on its territory (Business Insider)

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      Raspcoffee
      Link Parent
      With this, the bridges being destroyed and more, I get the feeling we're going to see a second Kherson but.... on Russian rural areas? Just keep strangling the Russian logistics into a dilemma to...

      With this, the bridges being destroyed and more, I get the feeling we're going to see a second Kherson but.... on Russian rural areas? Just keep strangling the Russian logistics into a dilemma to weaken them. If Russia's initial counteroffensive in the area fail, I wouldn't rule out a big victory in eastern Ukraine in a similar fashion as Ukraine got massive territory back before Kherson got liberated.

      Ukraine is really holding a bag of glass shards in front of itself, with some protection on their side, and Russia keeps punching. In the end, it seems like Russia's political reality just can't deal with dilemmas internally.

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        KapteinB
        Link Parent
        There's an area of several hundred square kilometres between the Ukrainian pocket in Kursk and the Seym river, where the Russians are now struggling to resupply their army after the three bridges...

        There's an area of several hundred square kilometres between the Ukrainian pocket in Kursk and the Seym river, where the Russians are now struggling to resupply their army after the three bridges across the river were destroyed. It probably won't be a lightning offensive like Kherson, since the Russian soldiers there don't have an easy escape route if they choose to retreat. Maybe the smartest thing would be to bomb all pontoon bridges the Russians build, and wait for the soldiers to run low on supplies.

        4 votes
        1. Raspcoffee
          Link Parent
          Yeah, weirdly enough - I think it's in Ukraine's best interest not to attack it straight away, but more so to get defensible positions(or maybe even gains) elsewhere. Why bother striking them when...

          Yeah, weirdly enough - I think it's in Ukraine's best interest not to attack it straight away, but more so to get defensible positions(or maybe even gains) elsewhere. Why bother striking them when it's more convenient to strangle them, and with it, a part of the Russian logistics? Unless of course I'm missing a part of the information I obviously do not have access too.

          It's obviously not a military perspective, but as someone who plays Go(the boardgame, sometimes called Weiqi or Baduk), sometimes its better to not attack a weak point immediately because it's a wonderful headache for your opponent. Increasing the chance that they'll make a mistake. At least, on the outside, this looks oddly familiar to those kind of settings. Except for opportunity, the big strangling point in logistics.

          And we all know by now how functional Russian military logistics is.

  5. KapteinB
    Link
    Ukraine Attacks Russian S-300 Missile Base, Launches 'Massive' Drone Strike on Moscow (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

    Ukraine Attacks Russian S-300 Missile Base, Launches 'Massive' Drone Strike on Moscow (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

    Ukrainian naval forces struck a Russian S-300 antiaircraft complex in Russia's Rostov region early on August 21, Ukraine's General Staff reported, as Russia said is was subjected to one of the most intense wave of Ukrainian drone strikes that ever targeted the capital, Moscow.

    5 votes
  7. [3]
    teaearlgraycold
    Link
    How can I see what Russia itself is reporting on this? It would be really interesting to see the spins they try.

    How can I see what Russia itself is reporting on this? It would be really interesting to see the spins they try.

    2 votes
    1. skybrian
      Link Parent
      I don't know, but the Institute for the Study of War's daily updates often report about what Russian milbloggers are saying.

      I don't know, but the Institute for the Study of War's daily updates often report about what Russian milbloggers are saying.

      3 votes
    2. streblo
      Link Parent
      Your best bet is following the big Russian mil-bloggers on Telegram or in various places they get reposted. They operate under the watchful eye of Russian MoD but generally are a little bit more...

      Your best bet is following the big Russian mil-bloggers on Telegram or in various places they get reposted. They operate under the watchful eye of Russian MoD but generally are a little bit more inclined to say when shit is bad. They still lie all the time though. War Gonzo, two majors, rybar, Romanov and FighterBomber are some of the big ones. I’m on mobile or I’d try and dig up the links for you.

      2 votes