13.08.2024 – Translated from Ukrainian via Google and OFP
Ukrainian forces are advancing further into Russia’s Kursk region, despite recent claims by Russian war correspondents that their troops are stabilizing a new front line. Officials from neighboring regions of the aggressor country have given particularly frank and alarming assessments of the Ukrainian offensive, predicting its spread.
Against this backdrop, Russian security forces may organize war crimes on the Kursk border in order to discredit Ukraine and the West’s support for its actions. All of this is discussed in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Most Russian pro-war bloggers claimed on August 11 that Ukrainian offensive activity had subsided in the Kursk region. However, their Kremlin-linked colleague refuted these claims the following day, admitting that the Russian army was far from stabilizing the situation, partly due to poor command.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are reported to have launched new advances into the western part of the Russian region in the area of Slobodka-Ivanovka, Tetkino, Gordeyevka, Uspenka and Viktorovka. Russian sources claim that Ukrainian forces control Slobodka-Ivanovka, Uspenovka and Viktorovka; fighting continues in the area of Snagost and Kremyane; the Ukrainian Armed Forces are advancing north and south of Korenevo, trying to bypass the village. Ukrainian forces are noted to have recently advanced in Kremyane and east of Zhuravli; have made advances in the forested area north and east of Semenovka.
Although the exact contours of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ advance are unclear, ISW added, analyzing geolocation footage, that Ukrainian forces recently operated in Sudzha and the northern part of Zaoleshenka. Ukrainian equipment was also spotted in the northern part of Girya, which, according to experts, indicates at least their temporary advance into this village.
In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have recently been active in Darino and have likely carried out cross-border offensives with the support of armored vehicles from the Sumy region to the northwest of Grayvoron, from the Belgorod region in the area of Kolotilovka and Prelesye, and to the south – near Bezymene.
The candid reaction of Russian governors
The head of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, expressed concern about “alarming” Ukrainian activity along the border with the region. His Kursk counterpart, Alexei Smirnov, acknowledged that Ukrainian forces “have captured 28 settlements in the Kursk region and advanced approximately 12 km inland” along the entire 40-kilometer front.
“Ukrainian forces were operating in approximately 29 locations in the Kursk region as of August 11, and 40 as of August 12. They have recently operated up to 24km from the international border. Smirnov’s assessment of the width of the front line therefore appears to coincide with the area where the main fighting is taking place between Snaghost and Plekhovo,” ISW confirmed.
The aggressor is preparing cynical provocations
Meanwhile, senior Ukrainian officials have provided updates on the offensive in Kursk and warned of the Kremlin’s intentions to commit war crimes against its own population in order to discredit Ukraine.
Thus, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, stated on August 12 that Ukrainian forces control about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, presumably within the Kursk region. ISW so far claims that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced about 800 square kilometers (as of August 12), although it does not estimate that they control the entire territory within the maximum extent of the declared advances.
Analysts also emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially confirmed the ongoing Ukrainian operation on Russian territory for the first time the day before. He noted that the government is preparing a plan to resolve humanitarian problems in the areas of the Kursk region where Ukrainian forces are operating.
And the SBU warned that Russian special services will use this situation to falsely accuse the Ukrainian Armed Forces of committing war crimes. In particular, Russian security forces may stage crimes against residents of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation in order to further accuse Ukraine and undermine Western support for its operation.
As reported by OBOZ.UA, the US State Department stated that it supports the advancement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region of Russia. They responded to the Kremlin’s threats, emphasizing that this operation is aimed at Ukraine’s self-defense.
So, this newest report from today claims that Ukraine’s advances are continuing. By contrast, Forbes claimed the AFU was digging trenches.
Of course, both scenarios are possible. The defensive positions might be for the AFU to fall back to, just in case. They might do this in areas suitable enough for defenses as they move along. If so, it’s a smart move. I wouldn’t do it any different.
“Meanwhile, senior Ukrainian officials have provided updates on the offensive in Kursk and warned of the Kremlin’s intentions to commit war crimes against its own population in order to discredit Ukraine.”
That has been a feature of putler’s vile rule since day one.
He started with the apartment bombings, put Chechnya in the frame, murdered one third of its population and inserted an izlamonazi version of himself as his pet dictator.
Chechnya was putler’s business model for Ukraine and still is.
Chechnya’s democratically elected president Dudayev was murdered by putler’s predecessor; Yeltsin. (He was on a Sat Phone; they tracked it and sent a missile).
But Dudayev made a string of extraordinarily accurate observations about the true nature of russia which proved to be absolutely correct. He also made some predictions about Ukraine which God willing will come to pass. Here is one :
“Remember my words: Russia will disappear when the Ukrainian sun rises” – Dzhokhar Dudayev.
I expect 100% war crimes to be committed by the cockroaches on their own people. I also expect them to level a ruskie village or two or more.
Apartment bombings, Beslan, Nord Ost and Crocus Hall: these and likely many others are terror attacks committed by putler operatives to suit the objectives of the regime.
No doubt also that many bombings and shellings in orc occupied areas and now inside putlerstan will have already been done on kremlin orders.
Joe Landsley posted an interesting video of putler reacting to the Kursk sub disaster with a weird smirk: the trademark of a psychopath who, feeling nothing himself, was caught off guard and not quick enough to fake some empathy.