Starting from August 9, the United States has allocated a new aid package for Ukraine worth 125 million dollars, according to the White House. The package, according to the media, will include Stinger MANPADS and artillery ammunition. Regarding the situation in Kursk, Politico reports that the invasion of the Kursk region has been approved by Kiev’s allies. On the other hand, US President Joe Biden fears that Ukraine could face a brutal response from Russia for the attack of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Volodymyr Zelensky, on August 10, confirmed for the first time the invasion of Russia: “We are pushing the war into the territory of the aggressor. Ukraine has shown that it knows how to demand justice and put pressure on the aggressor”.
In response, Russia bombed Kiev, Zelensky said that Kiev was hit by ballistic missiles of North Korean manufacture. Late in the evening of August 11, a fire was recorded on the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces. But Zelensky reported: “Russia set fire to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, while the radiation level is normal”. Without explaining why Russia, which controls the nuclear power plant, would set fire to property it controls.
In a response to Reuters, the UN representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran commented on reports that Iran had sent Fath missiles to Russia, Russian forces on Iranian soil were preparing to use ballistic missiles, and military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow: “Iran and Russia have long-term strategic cooperation agreements in various fields, including military. Legally, Iran has no restrictions or bans on the purchase or sale of conventional weapons. But Iran is morally refraining from transferring any weapons, including missiles, that could be used in the conflict with Ukraine until the end of this conflict.”
On the morning of August 9, an Iranian Il-76 cargo plane owned by Pouya Air, a company linked to the Revolutionary Guards, landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
The Russian social sphere is very attentive these days to what is happening in Kursk. Online several maps indicate areas of use of Ukrainian FPV drones in the Kursk region, as well as rocket and artillery attacks.
Among the online images, whose authenticity cannot be verified, those of Ukrainian prisoners called to fight in Kursk, it seems that it was an officer of the Ukrainian armed forces, named “Alex”, who spoke about it online. He writes that “they carry out the assigned tasks without comments”. There is no official information on this.
Russian troops have recaptured from the Ukrainians in the Kursk region: Kruglenkoye, Malaya Loknya and Cossack Loknya. Russian troops entered the village of Viktorovka, Leonidovo and Alexandria, transferring them to three “gray” zones. Russian troops, like the Ukrainian ones, also crossed the Reka River and entered the southern part of Zaoleshenka, making this area also a gray zone.
The intensity of operations by the Russian Aerospace Forces has increased significantly: in two days, more than 100 glide bombs were dropped along the border of the Sumy region, while in total in the first seven months of this year about 450 were dropped. At the same time, 20 thousand people will have to be evacuated from the same region.
Since the late evening of August 10, Russian troops have stopped the advance of Ukrainian forces in the north of the Kursk region, and although attempts by individual groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to advance east are still ongoing, Moscow is successfully containing them, according to The New York Times. According to the trail sphere, there are Georgians among the pro-Ukrainian fighters in Kursk. Videos have been posted as evidence. On the night of August 10, Makhnovka in the Kursk region also returns to Russia.
Russian troops have retaken all the territory south of Koronevo and entered Snagost, where both sides report heavy fighting. Plekhovo is also now a gray area after Russian troops advanced and entered the village.
Late in the morning on August 12, Russian social media wrote: “Ukrainian forces have made no progress in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.” Snagost was finally recaptured on August 12.
Ukrainian forces advanced into the forests south of Olgovka while their DRGs operated in the area. Ukrainian forces appeared to be concentrating on bypassing Korenevo from the north after failing to capture it. Front lines in other parts of Kursk remain stable after Ukrainian troops began building fortifications and digging trench systems. Acting Governor Alexey Smirnov: “The depth of penetration into the territory of the Kursk region is 12 kilometers, the width is 40 kilometers”
Local authorities in Kursk say: “The main task in the Kursk region now is to “knock out the enemy”. “Next it is necessary to ensure reliable coverage of the border with Ukraine”.
According to Vladimir Putin: “it has become clear” that the reason why Kiev rejected Russia’s proposals for a peaceful solution. He called the attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces an attempt to improve their negotiating position in the future.
Acting head of the Kursk region Smirnov added: “180 thousand people are subject to evacuation in the Kursk region, 121 thousand are left alone and have been taken away by the authorities. During the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Kursk region, 12 people were killed, 121 injured, including 10 children. An anti-tank ditch was dug for 40 km in the Kursk region. 90 platoon strongholds are being built in the region on the instructions of the Ministry of Defense, he added. Patrols to protect against looters are also being intensified. The Ukrainian Armed Forces used chemical weapons in the Belovsky district of the Kursk region.”
In the early morning of August 12, Ukrainian formations launched an attack on the Kolotilovka checkpoint in the Krasnoyaruzhsky District of Belgorod. Apparently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to create the maximum number of flashpoints and attempt to break through to the east to isolate Belgorod from the north.
The Krasnoyaruzhsky District has been the focus of increased attention from the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the past month. A Russian account writes: “From the facts of attacks and shelling that we noted, we can highlight three areas on which the enemy is betting, systematically carrying out shelling and attacks. “Kolotilovka” is the very place where the exchanges took place and the checkpoint also functioned; Terebreno – due to the adjacent forest area, into which it is so convenient to launch enemy DRGs, Terebreno is a fairly obvious target for advancing to the east (especially considering that Terebreno is low, and the forest located to the west is on a hill); Dronovka – the settlement is located in a small appendage, which extends into the Sumy region, and is also located in a lowland.”
Despite the stabilization of the situation in the Kursk region, the resolution of the crisis is still far away.
The Belarusian social sphere reports that Minsk is bringing troops, Polonaise missile systems and Iskander complexes to the border with Ukraine “We assess Ukraine’s actions as a provocation against Belarus,” the commander said in head of the Belarusian Armed Forces.
“President Alexander Lukashenko has instructed to strengthen the groups of troops in the Gomel and Mozyr directions,” source Defense Minister of Belarus Viktor Khrenin. Meanwhile, the Belarusian Armed Forces have posted online a video of a Ukrainian drone shot down in the Belarusian skies.
Tanks of one of the mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Belarus are being deployed to the border with Ukraine as part of the decision to “strengthen the groups of border troops,” the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry says.
“Military personnel load military equipment onto rail transport and begin a combined march to the designated areas (Gomel and Mozyr tactical directions),” the department said in a statement.
And now a look at the front line updated at 16:00 on August 12. Power outages recorded in Kiev. Missile attack as well as missile attack in Poltava.
Russian armed forces are advancing near Panteleimonivka in the Donetsk region, west of New York. Also, the offensive of Russian troops is recorded near Hrodivka and Serhiivka in the direction of Pokrovs’k, as well as Krasnohorivka in Kurachove
Russian troops have broken through the “Poroshenko line” in the direction of Torets’k, both sides confirm. Russian troops have captured fortifications and advanced beyond the main defense line of Donbass, built by Ukraine in 2014-2017. Russian troops now control 68% of New York.
In Vovchansk, Russian troops are holding positions on the territory of the aggregate plant, despite the use of robotic platforms by the AFU for remote detonation of buildings. The Ukrainian command reported that the Russian Armed Forces have redeployed new reserves in the city and Tikhiy area, Russian soldiers are fortifying their defensive lines.
On the night of August 11, one of the two cooling towers of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, whose main task is to cool water during the normal operation of the station, was hit by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with two direct strikes from UAVs, which caused a fire with internal structures on fire. As a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the cooling tower of the Zaporozhye NPP was then seriously damaged.
From the forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia it is learned that the main fire at the cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia NPP was extinguished by 23:30 Moscow time on August 11. The danger of collapse of the ZNPP cooling tower structure will be assessed by specialists when the situation allows. This attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces can be called an act of nuclear terrorism by the Ukrainian authorities. Russian authorities reported.
In the direction of Kupyansk – Svatove, Russian forces are engaged in multi-line battles, trying to break through to the N-26 highway and cut off one of the key transport arteries of the AFU on the left bank of the Zherebets River. South of Berestove, Russian Armed Forces units managed to expand their control zone, forcing the Ukrainians to retreat from several forest areas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to recapture lost positions and are using drones to strike at Russian troops. Russian UAV operators are responding with attacks on Ukrainian armored vehicles and positions.
Graziella Giangiulio
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