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Russian Army Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported at noon Thursday that the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region had stopped. But reports from the field did not indicate that.
“The operation will end with the defeat of the enemy. Putin receives a report from Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Ukrainian attacks on the Russian border. | Video: Reuters
Although Kiev has made no official comment on the offensive – the operation does not even have an official name – satellite images and footage posted by Russian war bloggers on the Telegram social network confirm the fighting, which has been going on for a third day. The Ukrainians captured the city of Sudja on Wednesday evening and captured dozens of Russian soldiers and border guards.
They apparently advanced further north, reaching the village of Malaya Lokna. The Kursk nuclear power plant Kurchatov is about thirty kilometers from the site of the fighting, but it does not appear to have been one of the targets of the Ukrainian offensive.
The attack caught the Russians off guard. They have no troops on the border and apparently believed the Ukrainians would not take such action. Ukrainian ground forces launched the attack from the Sumy region northeast of Kiev on Tuesday night. The Russians bombarded the area with rockets and artillery shells, but they were unable to stop the Ukrainian convoy even with their planes and helicopters. On Wednesday, the Ukrainians shot down a Ka-52 enemy helicopter.
Since the Ukrainian government has not commented on the matter, speculation has arisen about the reasons for this unexpected offensive. In addition to tying up Russian troops, it may also be an attempt to put Kremlin Chairman Vladimir Putin in a difficult position with his looming plan to “freeze” the conflict on the current front. This would mean Ukraine would leave 18 percent of its territory to Russia. However, by occupying Russian territory, Kiev is creating a new situation.
“Ukraine has no interest in a long-term occupation of parts of Russia, but it will be difficult for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or freeze in the conflict while Ukrainian soldiers are on Russian territory,” said Jimmy Rushton, a British military analyst who lives in Kiev and often visits the front lines himself to monitor developments.
Some well-known and followed Russian war bloggers on Telegram were shocked at how easily and quickly Ukrainian troops were advancing in their own country. Rybar, a Telegram account managed by a Defense Ministry insider, documented Ukrainians taking over roads around Suzhi. The city is the last Russian gas measuring station on the gas pipeline that runs through Ukraine to Europe. The gas pipeline is still operating normally.
A fire broke out near Suzhi, Ukraine, and Yevgeniy Poddubny, a propagandist and radical supporter of Russian aggression, was seriously injured. He worked as a war correspondent for the state TV station Rossiya 24 a His Telegram channel, He preached hatred against Ukrainians and was watched by more than 750,000 people in Russia. A 40-year-old man was seriously injured in hospital after being hit by a Ukrainian drone while in his car.
It is not clear which Ukrainian units were involved in the attack in the Kursk region. The 32nd Special Forces Mechanized Brigade has long been operating in the area around the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy, where the soldiers are from. Aktuálně.cz journalists and their staff spent several days on the front line in June.
Video: Deal with West is a win for Putin. Analysts say he shows he will deal with spies (08/06/2024)
Deal with West is victory for Putin. Analysts say he shows he will fight spy videos: AP
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