- Ukraine establishes military command in Russia for the first time
After their advance in the Russian region of Kursk, Ukraine increases pressure on Moscow by establishing a military headquarters. Under the leadership of Ukrainian Major General Eduard Moskalyov, the headquarters will be responsible for maintaining law and order and addressing the urgent needs of the population, said Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Ukraine has emphasized its adherence to international humanitarian law during its ongoing ground offensive since August 6.
After Russia lost control of part of the Kursk region and left people behind, Ukraine must ensure their supply, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kyiv stated. The defenders of Ukraine are taking care of the security of the people left behind by Russia, the ministry added.
Kyiv reports 82 locations under Ukrainian control
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Syrskyi, further stated that the Ukrainian military has taken control of 82 locations and 1,150 square kilometers of territory since the start of the offensive. According to Kyiv, Ukrainian troops advanced between 500 meters and 1.5 kilometers, less than in previous days. These claims could not be independently verified. This is the first such advance since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to unverified Russian reports, around 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers have entered the Kursk region, allegedly advancing 35 kilometers into Russian territory. The Kremlin-critical independent Russian news portal "Meduza" and other experts, however, considered these Ukrainian claims exaggerated. According to Meduza, Kyiv controls 45 to 50 settlements on an area of between 500 and 700 square kilometers. The situation in the contested region is highly dynamic, with constantly changing force ratios.
Moscow announces more troops for border regions
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov convened a crisis meeting in Moscow with representatives of the General Staff and other officials. He announced an increase in troops and resources for the regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk bordering Ukraine. The General Staff has prepared a plan with additional measures, said Belousov. "This primarily concerns the improvement of the efficiency of the troops management system in cooperation with other security agencies," he said during the meeting on protecting the Russian border regions.
He will personally oversee the implementation of the plan, he said. The goal is to protect the territorial integrity of Russia, the population, and the infrastructure in the border regions. According to the plan, the Defense Ministry, the FSB internal security service, the National Guard, and other security agencies will coordinate their work better.
The incursion of enemy troops with tanks and heavy artillery has sparked widespread surprise among Russia's population about the state of its borders. The FSB, responsible for border security, reports almost daily arrests of suspected and real saboteurs allegedly working for Ukraine and war opponents, but missed that a whole contingent of Kyiv troops was forming in the Ukrainian region of Sumy before crossing into Russian territory.
The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that the Russian army in the Kursk region has retaken control of the village of Krupez and successfully repelled Ukrainian attacks in certain areas. Russian military bloggers, who had previously been criticized by the ministry for false statements, also confirmed this. In the Belgorod region, an attempt by Ukrainian soldiers to seize Russian territory was thwarted, it was reported.
Russia evacuates another district in the Kursk region
Meanwhile, authorities in the Kursk region have ordered the evacuation of another district. People in the Glushkovsky district, about ten kilometers from the Ukrainian border, are being moved to safety, Governor Alexei Smirnov announced. Before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 17,500 residents were registered in this district. Smirnov also reported another air alert in the Kursk region due to threatened rocket attacks from the Ukrainian side.
Smirnov met with Deputy Presidential Administrator Sergei Kiriyenko at the Kursk nuclear power plant. Kiriyenko, a close aide to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, inspected the situation after security measures had been reinforced there. After visiting the construction site for the Kursk-2 NPP, Smirnov said that work on the new reactor was proceeding according to plan and is expected to be completed by December. There had been fears of fighting around the NPP and a possible nuclear threat.
So far, more than 120,000 people have been moved to safety. Russia has declared its border regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk as zones for anti-terrorist operations, which also involves more personnel and resources from the military apparatus. In the Belgorod region, Moscow has declared a state of emergency of national significance, as it had previously done in the Kursk region.
According to Zelensky's statements, Ukraine wants to increase pressure on war opponent Russia through its offensive to end the fighting and begin peace negotiations. Meanwhile, Russian troops in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk reported the capture of more villages.
Given the recent escalation in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of respecting international humanitarian law for the displaced individuals left behind by Russian forces.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, the Ukrainian military's primary objective remains ensuring the safety and well-being of the population under their control, as stated by Major General Eduard Moskalyov.
