
A checkpoint with Ukrainian military personnel in Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 16, 2024. The previous week, Ukrainian forces made a surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Published October 14, 2024
Soldiers of Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade crossed into Kursk Oblast two days before Kyiv launched its operation in the Russian region, aiding the subsequent offensive, Pavlo Rozlach, the brigade’s commander, said in an interview with TSN news program aired on Oct. 13.
Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, claiming to initially seize some 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but recently facing mounting pressure as Russia pulls in reinforcements.
According to Rozlach, one Ukrainian company sneaked into Kursk Oblast in groups of six soldiers and hid in the forest. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces helped them to cross the border.
When the operation began, the company attacked a Russian stronghold near the border. The successful operation paved the way for the entry of Ukrainian vehicles, the commander said.
Ukraine also disrupted Russia’s communication system, which disoriented Russian forces, he added.
“There were certain risks. If the enemy had found this company, the element of surprise would have been lost,” Rozlach said.
Afterward, two battalions reportedly broke through minefields thanks to engineers and kept on advancing in Kursk Oblast.
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SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
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Ukrainian troops are holding their positions despite heavy counterattacks from Russia, says the president (Picture: Alamy)
Published October 13, 2024
Ukraine’s armed forces are holding their positions in Russia’s Kursk region – despite heavy fighting and counterattacks by Moscow.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, his troops have been able to fend off Russian assaults, and he acknowledged that the purpose of the incursion was to draw Moscow’s attention away from frontline positions in eastern Ukraine.
Despite the advance into Russia’s border, forces operating in Ukraine have reportedly captured Ostrivske, a key target in Putin’s advance through the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian president said that the operation in Kursk had seen attempts by Russia to push back against the incursion. However, his troops were holding their positions.
Russia’s defence ministry said that its forces had recaptured two villages in the border Kursk region.
Mr Zelensky said that in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, partly held by Russian forces, “there are very difficult conditions, with harsh enemy actions”.
“But the resilience of our units is crucial. Everything depends on our resilience.”
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SOURCE: www.forcesnews.com