Fighting continues in the Kursk region, where Ukraine has been advancing since it launched its surprise cross-border incursion last week. But Ukraine continues to come under pressure in its occupied east.
The Kursk Offensive left Russia scrambling to fortify its territory. Kyiv appears to be pursuing multiple goals with the attack, from boosting morale after a torturous few months to stretching Russian resources. An aide to the Ukrainian president said the incursion was aimed at ensuring a "fair" negotiation process.
The fulcrum of Kyiv's presence in Kursk "is getting stronger" and "we are now strengthening our positions," Zelensky said in his latest address.
As part of efforts to cripple Moscow's logistical capabilities, Ukrainian forces said on August 18 they had blown up another bridge over the Seym River in Kursk Oblast, with "precision airstrikes".
"The aviation of the Air Force continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with precision airstrikes, which has a significant impact on the course of hostilities," Ukrainian Air Force Commander Oleschuk said in a social media post that included a video showing plumes of smoke engulfing parts from the bridge.
This comes two days after Ukrainian forces destroyed another bridge over the Seym River. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that for this attack Ukraine used Western missiles, which were probably made in the United States.
Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState said Kyiv was making new gains in Kursk Oblast and shared a photo from a video, also geolocated by CNN, of what it said was a Ukrainian Defense Forces tank in the village of Olgovka, located about 20 km north of the city of Suja.
Kyiv forces took control of Suja after launching their cross-border incursion earlier this month and established a Ukrainian military command there.
The Ukrainian military claims to have taken control of 1,000 sq km of Russian territory as part of the ongoing incursion into the southwestern region.
Ukraine's armed forces have released a video showing what they say are Sivalka flamethrower systems "engaging in active combat" in the direction of Kursk.
Russia has urged residents to evacuate areas where heavy fighting is taking place. The head of the Korenevsky district in the Kursk region, Marina Degtyareva, urged residents who left the area not to return.
"The operational situation on the territory of our region remains complex. "Some citizens do not give up their attempts to return to their homes, thus hindering the work of our military," she stated. | BGNES
