Key developments on Aug. 8:
- Battles in Kursk Oblast ongoing in two districts, Russia claims
- 'Many' Russian soldiers captured in Kursk Oblast battles, Ukraine's state project claims
- Russia closes 3 train stations in Kursk Oblast for passenger transport
- Any Ukrainian operations in 'Russian border regions' will benefit future talks with Moscow, presidential advisor says
- Russian airstrike against Sumy Oblast kills 2, including 6-year-old child
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that its forces continue to engage Ukrainian troops in the Sudzhansky and Korenevsky border districts of Kursk Oblast.
Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, resulting in clashes on Russian soil that were described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a large-scale provocation."
Kyiv has largely refused to comment on the operation in Kursk Oblast, which takes place just as Russia is ramping up attacks in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.
Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed that "the enemy has been prevented from advancing," echoing Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
One day earlier, Gerasimov reported to Putin that the Ukrainian military's advance deep into Kursk Oblast had been stopped.
In turn, Russian Telegram channels claimed that fighting had already begun in Sudzha, a town of around 5,000 people located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
Geolocation footage indicates that Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep into Russia's Kursk Oblast, passing at least two Russian defense lines and a stronghold, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its Aug. 7 assessment.
Kursk Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, which has been experiencing daily attacks since Russian troops were pushed out of the oblast and back across the border in April 2022.
Francis Farrell
'Many' Russian soldiers captured in Kursk Oblast battles, Ukraine's state project claims
"Many" Russian soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast after the incursion of Ukrainian forces, Ukraine's state project "Khochu nayti" ("I want to find") said on Aug. 7.
Among the captives are both conscripts and contract soldiers, according to "Khochu nayti," the project launched in January 2024 by Ukraine's military intelligence for relatives of the Russian military captured in Ukraine.
"There is also information about the dead whose bodies were not taken away by their comrades-in-arms during the retreat," the statement read.
The project published drone footage of what it presented as 32 captured Russian soldiers, adding that eight more did not fit into the frame. The Telegram post did not specify whether this was the overall number of Russian troops captured so far.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the claims.
Nate Ostiller
Russia closes 3 train stations in Kursk Oblast for passenger transport
Sudzha, Korenevo, and Psel stations in Kursk Oblast are "temporarily closed to passengers," Russian state-owned train operator Moscow Railway said on Aug. 8, as Russia claims ongoing battles in the region.
Korenevo is located around 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Sudzha, while Psel station is located in the village of Peschansky, 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Sudzha.
"The stations at Sudzha, Korenevo, (and) Psel are temporarily closed to passengers," Moscow Railway said.
Train services are being carried out as normal in Kursk Oblast with the exception of the Sudzhansky and Korenovsky districts, the company said.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that its forces continue to engage Ukrainian troops in these two districts.
"To ensure traffic safety, additional inspections of the infrastructure and briefings for personnel are carried out," Moscow Railway added.
The company reported later in the afternoon that an additional train to Moscow will leave Kursk railway station at 3 a.m. on Aug. 9 "to meet the demand for passenger transportation."
The number of carriages on a regularly scheduled train from Kursk to Moscow "has been temporarily increased to 10," Moscow Railways added.
According to Russian media, several thousand people have been reportedly evacuated from Kursk Oblast.
Francis Farrell
Any Ukrainian operations in 'Russian border regions' will benefit future talks with Moscow, presidential advisor says
Any possible Ukrainian operations in "Russian border regions" will have an impact on Russian society and improve Kyiv's position in future peace talks with Moscow, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Aug. 7.
Maintaining the official line, Podolyak refused to comment specifically on the recent cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, saying that the military would provide information if necessary.
"Will the events in this or that Russian border region have a psychological impact on (Russian) society? They will, without a doubt," Podolyak said on national television, implying this will create additional pressure on the Kremlin.
"When you increase Russian losses... when you ramp up their war costs, such as destroyed military equipment, lost territory, lost people, will this affect how they perceive their war? Without a doubt."
Echoing President Volodymyr Zelensky, Podolyak stressed that Ukraine must enter any talks with Russia from the position of strength. Ukraine has said it aims to invite a Russian representative to an upcoming second peace summit, though the Kremlin has been skeptical about attending.
Ukraine's partners, namely the U.S. and the EU, signaled that Kyiv has the right to decide about its own military actions.
"Our partners finally realize that everything connected to Ukraine's military actions is our sovereign right and a step toward de-escalation and the final end of the war," Podolyak commented on the partners' statements.
Nate Ostiller
Russian airstrike against Sumy Oblast kills 2, including 6-year-old child
Russia attacked a border village in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 8 with KAB bombs, killing a 22-year-old man and his 6-year-old sister, Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said on television.
Sumy Oblast suffers Russian cross-border strikes on a daily basis. The attacks have only intensified this week after Ukraine launched an incursion from there into Russia's Kursk Oblast.
The airstrike targeted the village of Mohrytsia, which lies some 6 kilometers (almost 4 miles) southwest of the border with Kursk Oblast.
The victims were killed in a schoolyard, Artiukh said, adding that their family refused to leave the village just one day earlier. Two other people were injured.
Sumy Oblast authorities announced mandatory evacuations of some 6,000 residents on Aug. 7 as Russia increased aviation activity near the border areas.
"Smy Oblast has never seen such a number of airstrikes per day," Artiukh said, calling the number of attacks "unprecedented."
Elsa Court
