Russian defence ministryRussia’s defence ministry says its forces have recaptured 10 settlements seized by Ukrainian forces in a shock incursion in Russia’s Kursk border area final month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russia had begun “counter-offensive actions, which goes consistent with our Ukrainian plan”.
Russia mentioned its “Items of the North” forces had reclaimed the settlements over two days within the space round Snagost, on the western flank of the world occupied by Ukraine in its marketing campaign launched on 6 August.
The primary indication of a counteroffensive had come from Chechen particular forces commander, Maj Gen Apti Alaudinov, who mentioned six Ukrainian brigades had suffered heavy casualties.
A Ukrainian officer combating within the Kursk area instructed the BBC that the Russian counteroffensive had begun a ways to the west of Sudzha.
“The combating could be very robust and the state of affairs will not be in our favour as of now,” the officer mentioned on situation of anonymity.
Ukraine’s offensive was launched with the obvious goal of distracting Russia from its push into jap Ukraine. It now claims as much as 1,300 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory.
Nevertheless, Russian forces continued to grab villages in jap Ukraine and are closing in on the strategic city of Pokrovsk.
Analysts from the US-based Institute for the Examine of Conflict mentioned the scale, scale and potential prospects of the Russian counterattacks have been unclear and it was untimely to attract any conclusions.
One social media account linked to a Ukrainian brigade mentioned Russian forces had unexpectedly launched their assault close to Snagost and that the Ukrainians have been combating again.
Russian navy knowledgeable Anatoly Matviychuk instructed the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that greater than 100 sq km of territory had been recaptured and “the enemy’s reserves, reinforcements, and logistical provides can not attain Kursk area”.
Russia’s navy was caught without warning by the size and depth of the Ukraine incursion into Kursk area early final month.
Though Moscow was shocked by the convenience with which Ukrainian forces seized cities and villages together with Sudzha, President Vladimir Putin mentioned nearly a month afterwards that they’d failed.
Ukrainian forces had tried to make Russia nervous – “to scurry, to ship troops from one space to a different and to cease our offensive in key areas, above all in Donbas” – he mentioned.
Not solely had it not labored, Putin argued that Ukraine’s offensive had merely helped Moscow’s “major goal”, which he recognized as capturing the Donbas – Ukraine’s industrial areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Sumy prosecutor’s workplaceRussian forces at the moment are just a few kilometres exterior Pokrovsk and its adjoining city Myrnohrad and fierce combating is reported on the approaches to the Pokrovsk.
An overpass between the 2 cities was destroyed in a single day into Thursday and the Donetsk regional head mentioned a water provide line to Pokrovsk had additionally been lower, though he mentioned the city had entry to a number of wells.
In the meantime, a Russian drone assault left 14 individuals wounded within the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop, a key hub utilized by Kyiv for making ready its Kursk marketing campaign.
Prosecutors within the Sumy border area posted images exhibiting broken condominium blocks within the city. Energy provides to Konotop have been down due to the strike and officers mentioned power infrastructure had been considerably broken.
