The Pentagon believes that the war in Ukraine is heading towards a dead end, Bloomberg reports: “Ukraine and Russia do not have enough military resources to conduct large-scale offensive operations, and this may indicate that both sides are heading towards a dead end,” the publication writes, citing the Pentagon’s intelligence agency.
Russia, according to the Pentagon note, “has adopted a strategy to wear down Ukraine and will be able to hold the buffer zone captured by its troops, but it does not have enough forces to threaten a deeper advance into Ukrainian-controlled territory such as the city of Kharkov.”
The US private military company “Forward Observation Group” (FOG) reported via social media that its operators are taking part in the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast in an Instagram post on August 16. FOG is staffed by former US Marines and special forces.
FOG social networks published a photograph of American military personnel on Russian territory with a geotag indicating their presence in the Kursk region. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested to the United States in connection with the participation of the American army in operations on the territory of the Russian Federation. A massive Russian shelling of government institutions and facilities in Ukraine is expected on Saturday, Ukraine’s Independence Day. The US embassy urges its citizens to leave Ukraine and takes care of security measures in the country.
The Chinese embassy in Kiev urges its citizens to avoid traveling to Ukraine due to the threat of massive Russian attacks on Saturday, Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Josep Borrell called Dmytro Kuleba to Brussels for an informal meeting of the heads of the EU Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense, and supported the attack of the Ukrainian armed forces on the Kursk region. “Lifting the ban on Kiev’s use of Western weapons to strike the Russian Federation could contribute to peacekeeping efforts,” EU diplomacy chief Borrell said in a statement to the press. Borrell said that in light of Kiev’s attack on the Kursk region, he would discuss strengthening support for Ukraine with the heads of the EU Foreign and Defense Ministries at the end of August.
The German Ministry of Defense declined to comment on whether German companies supply spare parts for equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region.
From the Czech Republic, Czech President Petr Pavel also said in an interview with Novinky: “In the conditions of an armed conflict, an action similar to that against the Nord Stream gas pipelines would be legal.” The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, responded to these words by comparing the Czech President’s statement to “statements of terrorist cells.”
According to Bloomberg, Volodomyr Zelensky tried to convince his allies to help bring more men of military age back to Ukraine, but was met with a resounding “No.” “Hungary’s politicians said they will not send refugees back while the war is going on,” the publication writes. Zelensky also stated that: “Russia’s concept of ‘red lines’ collapsed with the Kursk operation, this is the best way to free Ukrainian prisoners of war. We now control 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory, including 92 settlements. If our allies had allowed us to attack Russian territory with long-range missiles, there would have been no need for the Kursk operation.” According to Turkish sources, the sudden appearance in Ukraine of such a large number of obsolete S-125 air defense systems and Tochka-U missile launchers is due to the fact that Armenia transferred its stockpiles of air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine in exchange for US protection. According to them, some of the missiles recently launched against Russia were of Armenian origin.
Meanwhile, budget problems continue for Kiev: “By 2025, Ukraine will have to increase external financing by about 12-15 billion dollars,” source Ministry of Finance. Previously, the International Monetary Fund predicted that Ukraine would need 22.7 billion dollars in external financing for the next hour. It is necessary to increase financial needs due to security and defense spending.
From the Russian side, in the Zaporizhzhie region “the Cossack Army” will be restored: the decree was signed by Governor Yevgeny Balytsky.
The number of people injured in the fire in Proletarske, Rostov region, has risen to 42. The fire broke out a few days ago after debris from Ukrainian UAVs fell: diesel fuel stored in industrial warehouses caught fire.
Russian social media sources reported that more than 200 Ukrainian servicemen attempted to enter the territory of the Russian Federation twice in the area of the village of Zabrama, Klimovsky district, Bryansk region. “3 BMPs and saboteurs were spotted near the border at around 19:10 on August 21. After half an hour of fighting (by 19:40), the Ukrainian armed forces retreated with losses. At 20:30 the second wave of attack with reinforcements began, without success. At around 21:00 the DRG retreated. Now the entrance to the Klimovsky district is blocked by checkpoints.”
The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Andrey Belousov, congratulated the command and personnel of the 9th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Order of the Mariupol-Khingan Republic on the liberation of the settlement of Niu – York in the Donetsk People’s Republic. “I congratulate you on the liberation of the Novgorodskoye (Niu – York) Donetskoy Narodnoi Respublika settlement from the enemy. As a result of the professional and decisive actions of the formation’s personnel, the enemy suffered significant losses and fled. You honorably perform tasks in the most difficult and responsible directions, show mass heroism and resilience, proving that the brigade rightfully bears the honorary name “Guards”, – the congratulatory telegram of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation reads.
Despite the Ukrainian attacks on Kursk, the elections will be held regularly: “The election of the governor of the Kursk region will not be postponed, said the deputy head of the CEC Nikolai Bulaev. The regional election committee reported earlier that for security reasons in the region early voting will be organized from August 28 to September 5”.
The Kursk nuclear power plant is operating normally and is preparing for the scheduled repair of one of the power plants starting from August 25, TASS reported Rosenergoatom press service.
For technical reasons, the Kursk Region General Staff has decided to cancel sending SMS messages about the missile danger and the danger of UAVs source Acting Governor.
On August 22, Chechen forces general Akhmat Alaudinov said: “The armed forces in the direction of Kursk have been stopped, Russian forces have begun to push back the Ukrainian armed forces.” Ukrainian troops, according to Alaudinov, are regrouping and may strike in another area of the region or neighboring regions in the near future.
The IAEA head announced that he intends to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant next week. Grossi said that during his visit to the Kursk nuclear power plant he intends to study the ways of access to the plant in light of the Ukrainian side’s destruction of the bridges over the Seim River. Grossi said that he assesses “very seriously” the risk of damage to the Kursk nuclear power plant as a result of an attack by the armed forces on the territory of the Kursk region.
According to a post by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna Ulyanov about Grossi’s visit to the Kursk nuclear power plant: “most likely it will be at the beginning, not at the end of next week.”
Installation of reinforced concrete shelters begins in Kursk, as well as in Zheleznogorsk and Kurchatov, the acting head of the region said.
Journalists who illegally crossed the border in Suzhe will be included in the international wanted list, the Central Security Service of the Russian FSB reported.
Fighting continues in various directions in the Kursk region. Ukrainian armed forces do not stop trying to break through the defenses of Korenevo, bypassing the settlement from several sides.
In the Glushkovsky district the situation has not changed: the Ukrainian Armed Forces are striking at the crossings erected by the soldiers of the Russian army, but are in no hurry to cross the border in this area; In the Suzhan district the Ukrainian Armed Forces have entrenched themselves in the occupied territories.
In the Bolshesoldat district Nechaev and its surroundings were recaptured by the Russians; in the Korenevsky direction, the most intense battles took place on August 21. It is likely that the settlements of Snagost, Byahovo and Apanasovka are under Ukrainian control;
In Kursk, the construction of reinforced concrete fortifications has begun in places of mass people gathering. Similar structures will be installed in Kurchatov and Zheleznogorsk.
Deputy Prime Minister Denys Manturov said that 115,000 people have been evacuated from dangerous border areas. He also reported that the Cabinet of Ministers has prepared a decision on allocating 1.9 billion rubles for the needs of Kursk evacuees.
Vladimir Putin supported the idea of financing territorial defense in the Bryansk region from the federal budget. In addition, the governor of the Belgorod region, Gladkov, said that the region has its own defense force, numbering up to 6 thousand personnel.
The FSB opened a criminal case on illegal border crossing in the Kursk region in the Suzhi district against American journalist Nick Peyton Walsh, as well as Ukrainian correspondents Olesya Borovyk and Diana Butsko. Journalists who illegally crossed the border at Suzhe will be included in the international wanted list;
Overall, the situation in the region remains stagnant. The Ukrainians continue to try to break through the defense of the Russian army in all directions, but in most cases they suffer losses from air strikes, drones and artillery.
And now a look at the front line as of 15:00 on August 22.
Air defense means on the night of August 22 reflected an attack on five regions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported: Kiev, Cherkasy, Poltava, Nikolaev and Odessa. Thirteen aerial drones were shot down and intercepted over the Volgograd region, 7 over Rostov, 4 over Belgorod, 2 over Voronezh and one each over Bryansk and Kursk.
Ukrainian Armed Forces UAVs attacked Marinovka military airfield in Kalachevsky district of Volgograd region at night; footage of the fire was posted online. Ukrainian drones of this type were shot down in Bryansk, Rostov and Voronezh regions. One missile was shot down over Kursk region.
In the Pokrovs’k direction, Russian Armed Forces continue offensive actions and develop success. Podil’s’ke, beyond the village, has come under the control of the Russian army. Fighting for the capture of Kalynove has begun.
In the Donetsk direction, there are battles near the highway to Vuhledar. Russian troops have advanced in several areas in the direction of Vuhledar. In particular, they have advanced towards Konstantinivka and are located less than 300 meters from the center of the village. The Russian army has also occupied an extensive system of trenches north of Nikolske. Russian troops have advanced beyond the 00532 Konstantinivka-Vuhledar highway. Only 3.8 km remain to the most important intersection, which will cut off the entire supply of Vuhledar.
On the Zaporozhzhie front, without significant changes, there is some intensification of Ukrainian drones, already numerous, as well as artillery strikes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Identified groups of Ukrainian Armed Forces are being destroyed by artillery and aviation fire.
In the Kherson direction and in Crimea, Russian troops are increasing their vigilance against the backdrop of the expected provocations from Kiev, timed to coincide with the holidays of the Kiev regime.
In the Belgorod region, at night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled Shebekino, one civilian was injured. During the day, as a result of multiple enemy attacks, four more civilians were injured.
In the DPR, two people were killed, another civilian was injured as a result of enemy actions, two women were killed and one was injured as a result of an explosive device explosion.
Graziella Giangiulio
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