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According to a report by Reference News citing Russian News Agency on August 19,The Ukrainian National Network posted a message on the social platform "Telegram" saying that an explosion occurred in the Kiev Oblast and air defense alarms sounded in the area.

According to reports, the online map of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine shows thatAir defense alarms also sounded in many places including Chernihiv Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast and Nikolayev Oblast on the evening of the 19th.

According to reports, in retaliation for the Ukrainian army's attacks on Russian civilian facilities, the Russian army has continued to carry out targeted strikes on the locations of Ukrainian soldiers, mercenaries and weapons, as well as energy, military industry, communications and military command facilities.

But Russian presidential press secretary Peskov has repeatedly stressed that the Russian army will not attack Ukrainian civilian homes and social institutions.

According to a report on the Rossiyskaya Gazeta website on August 19, the US private military company Frontline Watch Group has confirmed its involvement in the attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast. Russia Today TV found photos of the company's mercenaries on foreign social platforms and reported on it.

According to reports, the Frontline Observation Group posted a photo online of three soldiers posing in front of a high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle. Standing in the middle of the photo is the founder of the private military company, and the geographical location is marked as Kursk Oblast.

Earlier, there were reports that the Russian army captured 15 mercenaries in Kursk Oblast. Local residents have also repeatedly confirmed that they encountered foreign soldiers. According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on August 19, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said, "If it were not for the instigation of the United States, Zelensky would not have decided to invade Kursk Oblast."

On August 16, Ukrainian soldiers gathered in the Sumy region (Photo from British media)

According to CCTV Chinese International, on August 19, local time,Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the Russia-Ukraine negotiations in an interview with the All-Russia state television and radio company.Lavrov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made it clear that after Ukraine attacked and invaded Kursk Oblast,Any negotiation is impossible.Lavrov said that President Putin also said a very important thing, that is, "We will definitely evaluate this situation later."

Lavrov denied recent rumors, including that Russia and Ukraine had held secret contacts on the issue of energy facilities under the mediation of Qatar, and that Turkey was planning to try to mediate in the field of food security in some way, but on the premise of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

According to CCTV News, the Russian Ministry of Defense released information on the battle situation on the 19th local time, saying that in the past 24 hours, Russian air defense forces shot down 49 drones and controlled a settlement and a railway station in the Donetsk region. In addition, the Russian army continued to repel the Ukrainian army's offensive in the Kursk direction, destroying a total of 27 armored vehicles, including 4 tanks.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces released combat information stating that in the past day, the Ukrainian army had carried out 17 strikes on Russian military concentration areas and air defense facilities, destroying 5 Russian tanks, 57 drones and other equipment.

Daily Economic News Comprehensive Reference News, CCTV Chinese International, CCTV News

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UK Defense Secretary: "Proud" of Ukraine using British weapons, including in Russia

Last week, two strategically important bridges in Kursk Oblast, Russia, were attacked by Ukrainian troops. According to the Russian side, the Ukrainian army used the US HIMARS multiple rocket launcher to carry out the attack, and it was also the first time that Kursk was attacked by Western-made rocket weapons. Previously, the United States publicly opposed Ukraine's use of US-made long-range weapons to attack the Russian mainland, fearing that the situation would escalate. French media said that whether the attack on the bridge means that Washington has relaxed relevant restrictions remains to be seen. While stating that the Ukrainian army's actions in Kursk "are carried out exactly as we expected", Ukrainian President Zelensky continued to call on the West to allow the Ukrainian army to use its supported weapons to carry out long-range strikes against Russia.

On the 16th, Mikhail Sheremet, a member of the Russian State Duma, warned that the "presence of Western military equipment in the attack" meant that "the world is on the brink of World War III." Western media found that as the Ukrainian army advanced into Russian territory, the Russian army was also making progress in eastern Ukraine.

Screenshot of the video of the Ukrainian army bombing the bridge

The "HIMARS" rocket launcher that the United States provided to Ukraine?

According to Interfax, on the 16th local time, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Ukrainian army used Western weapons to blow up a bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovsky District of Kursk Oblast. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova posted on social media that day: "The Kursk region was attacked for the first time by Western-made rocket launchers, most likely the US HIMARS rocket launcher. The bridge was completely destroyed and some volunteers who assisted in the evacuation of civilians were killed. All those responsible for these inhumane acts will be severely punished."

The British newspaper The Independent said that the bridge was one of the important channels for the Russian army to implement logistics and ammunition supply in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. British Sky TV said that the bridge connects the area of ​​Kursk still controlled by Russia and the area where Ukraine has made progress. France International Radio quoted analysts as saying that the destruction of the bridge shows that Ukraine is trying to carry out continuous fighting in western Russia. By disrupting Moscow's logistical supply, Ukraine can prepare for a long-term operation aimed at strengthening and possibly expanding its position in the region.

According to the Russian newspaper "Moscow Komsomolets" on the 18th, the Ukrainian army attacked a bridge over the Seym River again, using a "HIMARS" rocket launcher. Photos released by Russian military journalists showed that a huge hole appeared on the bridge after the attack. The report said that the bridge was an alternative route for evacuating local residents, leaving only one bridge in the Glushkovsky district.

According to AFP, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Oleksyukh posted a video on social media on the 18th showing the Ukrainian army destroying a bridge in the Kursk region, saying that "another bridge is missing in the Kursk direction." The report said that the Ukrainian army's move was an attempt to disrupt the Russian army's combat operations and supply lines.

Russia's Avia.pro website analyzed that although the bridge was not completely destroyed, the possibility of using it for transportation has actually dropped to zero. The Ukrainian army is taking targeted actions to completely cut off the possibility of transporting heavy equipment in the area. This step may make it more difficult for Russian troops to resupply and residents to evacuate. At the same time, the remaining bridge in the area is particularly worrying and is likely to become the next target of Ukraine's attack in the next few hours.

UK defence minister says 'proud' Ukraine uses British weapons

According to France International Radio, the Ukrainian army used HIMARS rocket launchers to blow up the Russian bridge. Observers are still waiting for further developments in the situation as to whether Washington has relaxed restrictions on the Ukrainian army's use of US-made weapons.

Zelensky had previously sought permission from the West to use the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the UK's Storm Shadow missile to strike targets in Russia, but was rejected each time. According to Reuters on the 17th, Zelensky once again called on Western allies in his speech that day to allow the Ukrainian army to use its supported weapons to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, saying that "the long-range strike capability of our army is the answer to all the most important and strategic questions in this war."

In an interview with the country's Sunday Express, British Defense Secretary John Healey claimed that Britain "should be proud of Ukraine's use of British weapons" - including in Russia. He said that under the UN Charter, Ukraine has a clear right to self-defense, "as long as it abides by international law, and does not rule out actions in Russia." According to the British "Times", in the coming weeks, Healey will attend a new meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Coordination Group, where he will urge European allies to provide Ukraine with more equipment and give Kiev more freedom to use these equipment in Russia.

Pictured: John Healy (file photo)

Sky News said that Britain is one of the main military aid countries for Ukraine, and the weapons it provides include tanks, air defense systems and long-range precision strike missiles. The Times said that although Britain allows the Ukrainian army to use tanks and other weapons on Russian territory, restrictions on missiles still exist.

The US government appears to be blocking Britain from allowing Kiev to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, according to reports. A British government source said Britain has been waiting for US approval for more than a month. The report said that although Britain wants to give Ukraine free use of long-range weapons, this requires the consent of allies including the United States, France and a third undisclosed NATO country.

Russian troops approach Ukrainian transportation hub

Agence France-Presse said that while the Ukrainian offensive against Russia "boosted" the morale of Kiev, it seemed to have little impact on the larger-scale fighting in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky said on the 17th that the Russian army launched "dozens of attacks" on Ukrainian positions near the towns of Pokrovsk and Toretsk.

According to Reuters, Ukraine said they thwarted Russia's missile attack on Kiev in the early hours of the 18th. "This is the third ballistic missile attack on Kiev in August, with an apparent six-day interval between each attack," the Kiev Military Administration said in a social media post. Ukrainian Air Force Commander Oleksandr Oleksuk said the Ukrainian army destroyed eight Russian attack drones and five of the eight missiles launched overnight. Kyiv Oblast Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said in a statement that two private homes were destroyed and another 16 were damaged by falling debris.

According to AFP, the Russian military said on the 18th that its troops had occupied another village, about 15 kilometers from the eastern Ukrainian hub city of Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk has long been a target of the Russian army and is located on a main road that is the only way for the Ukrainian army and towns on the eastern front to obtain supplies.

"Ukraine's attack on Kursk Oblast could create discord among Kiev's allies," Bloomberg News quoted sources as saying that some NATO allies "expressed concerns." The West believes that Ukraine chose a "bad time" to launch the attack. In addition, many people are still unclear about the purpose of Ukraine's move. According to AFP, a source in the German parliament revealed that Germany, as Ukraine's second largest aid donor, plans to reduce its military aid to Kiev by half in 2025.