Key developments on Aug. 14:
- Over 100 Russian troops captured in Kursk Oblast in less than a day, Syrskyi says
- Ukraine hits 4 Russian airbases in largest such attack, source says
- Decorated Ukrainian pilot killed in action
- Ukraine's operations in Kursk Oblast 'are defensive,' Polish PM says
- Ukrainian TV reports from Kursk Oblast's Sudzha for first time, video shows
Ukrainian forces operating in Kursk Oblast have captured more than 100 Russian troops since midnight on Aug. 14, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a report to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a post on Telegram, Zelensky said he had received a morning report from Syrskyi and that "further progress" had been made in the incursion.
"(Ukrainian forces have advanced) from 1 to 2 kilometers in different areas from the beginning of the day," Syrskyi said.
"And more than 100 Russian soldiers have been captured during the same period."
Ukraine's cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast began on Aug. 6, and by Aug. 13, Ukraine said it controlled 74 settlements in the region.
Zelensky said on Aug. 13 that "hundreds" of Russian soldiers have so far surrendered during the operation.
In his post on Aug. 14, Zelensky said he was "grateful to all involved," and the taking of Russian prisoners would allow Ukraine to return more of its own prisoners of war being held by Russia.
"This will speed up the return home of our boys and girls," he said.
Oleg Sukhov
Ukraine hits 4 Russian airbases in largest such attack, source says
Ukrainian long-range drones hit four Russian airbases overnight on Aug. 14 in the largest attack on airfields in the war, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Earlier the same day, Russia claimed it had downed over 110 Ukrainian drones in a massive strike, with local Telegram channels reporting explosions at the Savasleyka, Borisoglebsk, and Voronezh's Baltimore airbases.
The SBU source confirmed the attacks against the three aforementioned airbases and said an airbase in Kursk had also been targeted. Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk Oblast last week, marking the first instance of Ukrainian regular troops entering Russian soil during the war.
The large-scale drone attack was carried out by the SBU in cooperation with the Air Force, Special Operation Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, and military intelligence agency (HUR), the source revealed to the Kyiv Independent.
The goal was to prevent Russia from using the airbases to strike Ukrainian military positions and settlements with KAB bombs. The consequences of the attacks are being determined, the source added.
"We are waiting for satellite photos of destroyed Russian fighters and warehouses," the source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Decorated Ukrainian pilot killed in action
Oleksandr Myhulia, an experienced Ukrainian pilot and commander of an aviation unit of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade squadron, was killed in action on Aug. 12, the brigade said on Aug. 14.
Captain Myhulia, 27, served in the Air Force since 2014. He made over 160 combat flights since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the brigade.
"He carried out numerous missile and bomb attacks on the aggressor's positions, manpower, and equipment clusters, thus preventing the enemy forces from advancing into the territory of a peaceful country," the statement read.
No further details about Myhulia's death were provided. Ukraine's Air Force has not commented on his death at the time of the publication.
Myhulia was a holder of the Order of Courage (III and II class).
Shashi Tharoor
Ukraine's operations in Kursk Oblast 'are defensive,' Polish PM says
Ukraine has full right to counter Russia's aggression "as effectively as possible," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a press conference in reference to Kyiv's incursion into Kursk Oblast, Polskie Radio reported on Aug. 13.
When asked about Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons during operations on Russian territory, Tusk said that Kyiv's "actions are defensive."
Ukraine's unprecedented operation, ongoing since last week, seems to have taken Russia by surprise, as Kyiv says its forces seized control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of land after they broke through the weakly defended border.
Groups of Ukrainian soldiers have also reportedly entered neighboring Belgorod Oblast as Russian authorities scramble to evacuate its population and send in reinforcements.
"What the Russian troops and Russian aviation are doing to Ukraine's territory bears the hallmarks of genocide and inhuman crimes. Ukraine has every right to wage war in such a way as to paralyze Russia in its aggressive intentions as effectively as possible," Tusk said.
According to the Polish prime minister, Warsaw maintains constant contact with Kyiv at the highest political level but holds no consultations with Ukraine on the Kursk Oblast operation.
"The biggest risk for Poland and Europe is that Ukraine loses the war and Russia wins. This is a risk that will directly affect Poland and, I believe, the whole of Europe. Therefore, Ukraine's actions that prevent this scenario are also actions for our security," Tusk added.
Serhii Kuzan
Ukrainian TV reports from Kursk Oblast's Sudzha for first time, video shows
Ukrainian TSN news program showed Ukrainian soldiers removing the Russian flag in the town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast on Aug. 14, reporting from embattled Russia's region for the first time after Kyiv's incursion.
Ukraine's unprecedented operation, ongoing since last week, seems to have taken Russia by surprise, as Kyiv says its forces seized control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of land after they broke through the weakly defended border.
Nataliia Nahorna, a war reporter for 1+1 TV channel that is a part of Ukraine's united news program dubbed as TV Marathon, filmed a video against the backdrop of soldiers removing the Russian flag from a building.
"We are now in Sudzha at the historic moment when the Russian tricolor falls to the ground," she said. TSN also published photos of destroyed equipment in Russia's region.
The news came soon after Apti Alaudinov, the commander of the Chechen Akhmat unit fighting for Russia, claimed that Ukraine's Armed Forces do not control the town as of Aug. 14, Russian state-controlled news agency TASS wrote.
Sudzha is located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine, while the city of Kursk lies 85 kilometers (53 miles) to the northeast of Sudzha.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Aug. 9 that Ukrainian troops had reached the western outskirts of the town. Ukrainian soldiers posted video footage later, claiming to be in Sudzha.
Owen Racer
