Russia and Ukraine face off in Kursk
2024-08-17
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On the 15th local time, people evacuated from Kursk and Belgorod regions arrived at a temporary accommodation in the Stavropol Territory of Russia. (The Paper)
Our special correspondents in Russia: Xiao Xinxin, Liu Yupeng, Chen Kang"Both Ukraine and Russia claim to have made progress in the Kursk region." Regarding the fierce confrontation between Russia and Ukraine in the Kursk region, AFP described the latest situation of the two sides on the 16th. In an interview with Russian media on the same day, Araudinov, deputy director of the General Directorate of Military and Political Work of the Russian Armed Forces, denied Ukraine's claim that it had occupied Suja in Kursk Oblast, saying that the Russian army was clearing out Ukrainian troops in several villages in the state. The day before, Ukrainian President Zelensky claimed that he had completely occupied the Russian border town of Suja and established a "military control headquarters" in Kursk. At present, both Russia and Ukraine are continuing to mobilize military forces, and the fighting situation is very fierce. For Ukraine, US military aid is particularly important at this time. Kirby, the White House strategic communication coordinator, said on the 15th that the United States will provide Ukraine with a package of military aid in the coming weeks. US media said on the same day that the White House plans to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles. The Pentagon also said that the United States does not rule out adjusting the policy and types of Ukrainian military use of US weapons based on battlefield dynamics. In this regard, Russian presidential aide Patrushev said in an interview with Izvestia on the 16th: "Now the Ukrainian people are suffering for the interests of the United States. The country has been turned into an anti-Russian military project by the United States."'Settlements change hands frequently'According to TASS on the 16th, the deputy director of the Military and Political Work General Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, Alaudinov, said on the same day that in the Kursk direction, the Russian army is taking intensive actions to destroy the Ukrainian troops. He said: "The enemy is trying to break through from other directions, but failed." When talking about the Ukrainian side's claim that it has completely occupied Sudja, he said that the Ukrainian army did not control the city and there were still Russian troops there. "In the area where I am now, the Russian army has started clearing operations in many villages in the Sudja direction."According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Zelensky posted a video on social media after meeting with Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Serski on the 15th, saying that the troops had "reported the completion of the liberation of Suja from the Russian army." In the video, Serski told Zelensky that since the attack on Russian territory on August 6, Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 kilometers into the Kursk region of Russia, and have continued to advance 1.5 kilometers in the past 24 hours. Serski also said that a "military control headquarters" has been established in Kursk Oblast to maintain order in the occupied areas.On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the establishment of a border region military security coordination committee, covering Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, with the aim of providing the troops defending the border regions with the necessary weapons, military equipment, special equipment, strike means and logistical support materials. The Russian newspaper Izvestia said on the 16th that Russia has set up many roadblocks at key nodes in the Kursk region. Russian troops are moving to the region, and they are forming an assault group to destroy Ukrainian troops that have entered Russian territory.The Washington Post website quoted Ukrainian military sources on the 15th as saying that the Ukrainian army's offensive on Russian territory has expanded to Belgorod Oblast, where fierce fighting is taking place. However, compared with the rapid advance in Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian army encountered a fierce counterattack from the well-prepared Russian army in Belgorod Oblast. The state is full of fortifications and mines, and the Ukrainian army was almost immediately attacked by Russian artillery, drones and aerial bombs. The report analyzed that after the Ukrainian army launched the Kursk Oblast operation, the Russian army in Belgorod Oblast was already on high alert, and the state had already established a more solid defense line due to frequent attacks by the Ukrainian army.Ukraine's Strana News Network said on the 16th that the Ukrainian army's offensive in Kursk is no longer as easy as it was in the early stages of the offensive, and the settlements under its control often change hands. At the same time, the Russian army is sending more reserve forces into the battle, and the Ukrainian army is facing increasing pressure. If a stalemate similar to that in eastern Ukraine continues to form in the state, the Ukrainian army may face further shortages of troops and equipment.Providing long-range cruise missiles?"Ukraine's bold move to venture deep into Russian territory has changed the battlefield." The Associated Press said on the 15th that Ukraine's shocking "attack into the Kursk border area of Russia" was a bold gamble. The report said that from a political perspective, the action boosted Ukrainian morale and added some bargaining chips to future negotiations. At the same time, it was also a signal to Western allies. Zelensky claimed that Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region was achieving "strategic goals" and that this progress had greatly increased Ukraine's "foreign exchange funds (referring to Western aid)."The United States has begun to increase its military aid to Ukraine. White House Strategic Communications Coordinator Kirby said at a press conference on the 15th that the United States will provide Ukraine with a new package of military aid in the coming weeks. Kirby did not answer the question of whether the United States plans to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, but admitted that Washington is in real-time contact with Kiev to ensure that the Ukrainian army has the necessary weapons and funds.According to the European version of the U.S. "Politico" report on the same day, the Biden administration is "open to" sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine as the Ukrainian army enters Russia to carry out operations. The report said that sending such missiles to Ukraine would enhance the combat effectiveness of the F-16 fighter jets obtained by Ukraine.On the 15th, Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Singer said that the United States does not rule out adjusting the policy and types of U.S. weapons used by the Ukrainian army based on battlefield dynamics. She said: "Whenever the battlefield changes and needs to adapt, we will also adjust accordingly. Therefore, we do not rule out any possibility at present, because the battlefield is changing, we will always provide Ukraine with what it needs."Regarding the United States' continued fanning of the flames in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Patrushev said in an interview with Izvestia on the 16th that the Ukrainian army's entry into Kursk was planned with the participation of NATO and the West, and was driven by the realization that the Kiev regime was "about to collapse." He said: "The US statement that it had nothing to do with Kiev's attack on Kursk is not true. The United States often says one thing and does another. Without the participation and assistance of the United States, Kiev would never dare to risk entering Russian territory."On the 15th, Podoljak, an adviser to Zelensky's office, also publicly admitted that Kiev had discussed the Ukrainian army's plan to attack Kursk with the United States, Britain and other countries. In an interview with the British Independent that day, he said: "Kiev discussed it with its partners, but it was not made public." He also said that this was part of the "psychological" strategy to win the war.Russian troops remain in force on the front line in eastern UkraineAlthough the Ukrainian army has made some progress in Kursk, many analysts, including the US media, believe that this has also brought great concerns to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said on the 15th that in the context of the shortage of Ukrainian troops, attacking Kursk would worsen the already bad situation of the Ukrainian army on other fronts. The report said that Kiev transferred troops from the Eastern Front to Kursk, causing Ukrainian commanders in other directions to complain about the lack of ammunition and personnel. Many people doubted the "rationality" of the attack on Kursk.The Associated Press also said that despite initial progress, a week after the operation began, Ukraine's goal is still unclear: Will the Ukrainian army hold on to and retain the conquered territory, or will it further advance or retreat on Russian territory? The report said that militarily, Kiev deployed multiple brigades to implement the Kursk operation, some of which were drawn from the most intense front-line fighting areas (referring to eastern Ukraine), and the Russian offensive has not weakened. So far, Moscow's overall strategic advantage is intact.Agence France-Presse reported on the 16th that according to the latest war report of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day, the Russian army has occupied a village near Pokrovsk, an important hub in eastern Ukraine. It is only about 15 kilometers away from Pokrovsk. Ukraine's "Independent" newspaper said that Kiev admitted that the Russian army has approached Pokrovsk and announced the evacuation of the city's residents. Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Sersky said that the situation in Donbass is still complicated. The Ukrainian army is trying to prevent the enemy from advancing in the direction of Pokrovsk.The Russian newspaper "Moscow Komsomolets" said that Pokrovsk is Ukraine's coal energy center and railway hub, and losing it would be disastrous for Ukraine. First, it would cause the entire metallurgical industry in Ukraine to stop production, because the city is its only coking coal production site. Many thermal power plants in Ukraine will also stop working. In addition, after Russia captures this place, a corridor will be formed to facilitate the Russian army's advance to the Dnipropetrovsk region.On the 16th, the Russian "Military Observation Network" quoted the analysis of military experts, saying that after the Ukrainian army launched an offensive in Kursk, Russia, the Russian army did not reduce its offensive strength on the eastern front of Ukraine. Ukraine's goal of weakening the Russian army's offensive on the front line has basically failed. Russia and Ukraine have entered a stage of mutual offensive and defensive struggles. The Ukrainian army's defensive pressure and difficulties on the eastern front of Ukraine remain, but the situation in Kursk has also caused trouble for the Russian army. It remains to be seen which side can break the deadlock first. However, the Ukrainian army has invested a lot of resources in the Kursk direction. Once the Russian army has assembled, successfully repelled the Ukrainian army in Kursk, and continued to break through in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine will fall into a greater dilemma. ▲
