Deputy Commander of the Intelligence Center of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Janek Kesselmann, commented that Russia decided to ignore the presence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region.
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| Ukrainian President Zelensky said that the major offensive of his country's army in Russia's Kursk province is part of a systematic effort to end the 30-month conflict on Kiev's terms. (Source: RT) |
The officer commented that Ukraine had created a strategic dilemma for Russia, especially after destroying all three bridges over the Seim River. Either Moscow had to stop fighting in Donetsk, or it had to recognize Ukraine's presence in Kursk.
In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Kesselmann said that Kiev's offensive forced Russia to mobilize conscripts, although Moscow denied that possibility.
* Updating the situation in Kursk, RT quoted the August 23 news of the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that units of the Northern Group of Forces, with the support of the air force and artillery, successfully repelled attacks from Ukraine near the settlements of Borki and Malaya Loknya and prevented attacks in the direction of Komarovka, Korenevo, Martynovka and Russkaya Konopelka.
According to the information, Ukrainian forces lost 70 servicemen, 2 personal armored vehicles and 1 car in this operation.
Meanwhile, Russian reconnaissance and search units continue to identify and destroy enemy groups hiding in dense forests as they attempt to penetrate deeper into Russian territory.
The Russian military also continued to put pressure on enemy forces with airstrikes and artillery fire, targeting several Ukrainian brigades across the region.
According to Moscow's estimates, since Ukraine launched its cross-border offensive into Russia's Kursk region, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost about 5,137 soldiers, 69 tanks, 27 infantry fighting vehicles, 55 armored personnel carriers, 350 armored fighting vehicles, 34 artillery units, five air defense missile systems, 11 MLRS launchers, including three US-made HIMARS, along with other heavy equipment.
* On the same day (August 23), Tass quoted local police sources as saying that a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying an anti-tank grenade attempted to approach the Kursk nuclear power plant.
However, the UAV was intercepted and crashed near a spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Tass released images of the aircraft and its payload. The UAV bears the logo of the Unmanned Aircraft Troops - a Ukrainian government project to increase the military's ability to provide such aircraft.
The Kursk nuclear power plant is located near the city of Kurchatov, about 60km from the border. Russian officials have accused Kiev of carrying out multiple attacks on the facility during its incursions into the Kursk region.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the incident as an act of nuclear terrorism. She called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to respond. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit the Kursk Power Plant next week at the invitation of the Russian government. He is expected to visit Kiev later.
* On August 22, answering the media, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided how to respond to Ukraine's invasion of the Kursk region. And he "is absolutely confident that all those responsible for what happened in Kursk will be severely punished".
However, the diplomat did not provide further details about the Russian leader's plans.
Referring to Ukraine's announcement that it intends to create a "buffer zone" through an attack on Russian territory, Ambassador Antonov asserted that Kiev will fail to establish this buffer zone. "That is impossible. There will be no buffer zone on Russian territory.
The Russian diplomat also said that the US could end Kiev's invasion of the Kursk region with just "a snap of the fingers" but Washington did not consider such a move "necessary".
* Meanwhile, the UNIAN news agency (Ukraine) commented that with the decision to mobilize a large military force in the Kursk operation, including assault brigades and combat vehicles provided by the West, President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing a dilemma. The goal of controlling Russian territory can create strong leverage in future peace negotiations, but at the same time, it also poses the risk of exposing weaknesses in strategic areas of Ukraine such as Pokrovsk.
While the Kursk operation is seen as a crucial move to protect Ukraine's Sumy region from Russian attacks, many fear the increased military presence could lead to more intense air strikes from Moscow.
The ambiguity about the ultimate goal of the Kursk operation has added to the anxiety of the Ukrainian public, especially as Russia continues to exert pressure in areas such as Donbas. The lack of a specific timeframe for the operation and the lack of a clear goal for negotiations with Russia by President Zelensky and his military leaders has left people worried about their ability to defend their territory.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/kursk-nga-phot-lo-su-hien-dien-cua-ukraine-tong-thong-putin-da-co-cach-kiev-o-the-tien-thoai-luong-nan-283703.html
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