A top Ukrainian counter-disinformation official on Aug. 22 refuted Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusations that Kyiv attempted to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.
The IAEA chief said he would visit the power station next week to gather information from its managers on whether it had already been targeted. Kyiv has rejected Russian accusations of planning to attack the nuclear plant.
In a post on Telegram on Aug. 22, acting governor Alexei Smirnov said the locations of ten had already been decided, with plans to install 60 in total.
Russia launched a criminal investigation into CNN correspondent Nick Walsh and Ukrainian journalists Diana Butsko and Olesia Borovyk on the grounds of an "illegal border crossing" while reporting on Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast, the state-owned news agency TASS reported on Aug. 22.
Ukraine captured another Russian settlement in Kursk Oblast, as well as Russian prisoners of war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 22 while visiting the border at Sumy Oblast.
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent traveled into Russia’s Kursk Oblast with Ukrainian soldiers during the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in the area. Since the trip constitutes an unsanctioned crossing of the state border between Russia and Ukraine, the identities of the author of the report and of the
Key developments on Aug. 21: * Ukraine destroys 3, damages around 5 Russian aircraft in recent attack, source says * Russia has dropped 27 guided bombs on Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's military claims * Russia plans to respond to Ukraine's Kursk Oblast incursion, military intelligence says * Kremlin trying to convince the public that Ukrainian
Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia’s Kursk Oblast has derailed Russia's plans to dictate a peace deal on its terms and strengthened Ukraine's hand in any future negotiations, Ukrainian officials and analysts say. “We must force Russia, with all our might and together with our partners, to make peace,
The Kremlin expects a "quite optimistic" scenario of several months of fighting to regain the territory, and efforts now are aimed at placating the Russian population and getting them used to this timeline.
"Where do Russian pontoon crossings 'disappear' in Kursk Oblast? Special forces operators and Defense Forces units are actually destroying them," the Special Operation Forces said on Telegram.
Citing an official in the Russian security services, the report says Colonel General Alexander Lapin claimed the Kremlin's military could effectively defend the border on its own.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the Chechen Republic on Aug. 21 to inspect Chechen troops readying to deploy to Ukraine's front line - marking his first visit to the region in 13 years.
Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate a total of 45,000 residents from Sumy Oblast, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko told reporters on Aug. 20, amid ongoing attacks on the region.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Aug. 20 that it will establish troop groups in Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk oblasts to defend settlements along the Ukrainian border amid the Ukrainian military's incursion into Kursk Oblast.
Key developments on Aug. 20: * Russian pontoon crossing in Kursk Oblast 'disappears' in possible blast, RFE/RL reports * Ukraine advances 28-35 km in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukraine's military says battles ongoing in Niu-York amid Russia's reported advance * Defected Russian soldier reveals he spied for Ukraine, injured his commander * Russia
Ukrainian forces have advanced 28-35 kilometers (18-21 miles) into Russia's Kursk Oblast and taken control of 93 settlements, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported at an event chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 20.
The Russian Interior Ministry issued a memo on information security for residents and law enforcement residing in the country's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, which border Ukraine.
One of the two pontoon bridges built by Russia over the Seim River in Kursk Oblast is no longer visible on satellite imagery, and smoke was detected in the area, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Aug. 19.
Russian forces attacked 11 communities in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 19, injuring four civilians, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration. In total, 256 explosions were recorded in 69 separate attacks on the region.
Key developments on Aug. 19: * Ukraine in control of 92 settlements in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky claims * Ukraine hits 3rd bridge in Kursk Oblast, Russia claims * Pokrovsk residents have 2 weeks to evacuate as Russian forces advance, authorities say * Denmark announces $115 million military aid package, says supplied equipment can
The package is aimed at meeting both Ukraine’s short-term and long-term defense needs. The funds will be used to purchase new military equipment from the Ukrainian defense industry and the country’s international partners.
Ukraine aims to establish a buffer zone in Russia's Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 18, as he outlined some of the strategic aims of the ongoing operation. "It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and
During an interview on CBS' Face the Nation on Aug. 18, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly said that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast could help Ukraine change the course of the war in the country's favor.
Key developments on Aug. 17-18: * Ukraine claims another key bridge destroyed in Kursk Oblast * Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces 'strengthen' their positions in Kursk Oblast * Belarus moved third of its army to Ukraine border due to what Lukashenko claims was misunderstanding * German Foreign Ministry refutes claims that Berlin will not provide
If confirmed, it would be the second key bridge destroyed by Ukrainian forces in recent days and will further hinder Russia's ability to resupply troops hoping to fend off Ukraine's incursion.
The RAI news team were the first to publish a foreign media report of Ukraine's incursion in Kursk Oblast.
"The only way to stop the glide bombs is to hit the air bases used by those Russian planes; and the only way to hit those bases is to use the Western kit they already have," he said.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 17 that Ukraine is allegedly planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia, which was dismissed by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry a day before.
(Updated: )
