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US support to Ukraine ongoing amid Kursk Oblast incursion, Pentagon says

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US support to Ukraine ongoing amid Kursk Oblast incursion, Pentagon says
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during the 20th Ramstein-format meeting in Germany on March 19, 2024. (Rustem Umerov/Facebook)

The United States will continue to support Ukraine as its troops advance in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Aug. 19.

Ukraine has captured over 90 settlements in Kursk Oblast since launching its surprise cross-border offensive on Aug. 6.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov have "discussed ongoing support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine's urgent military requirements," Singh said.

Austin "reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine" in talks with Umerov and said the defense chiefs will remain in close contact, according to Singh.

Singh also said the U.S. has no plans to interrupt security assistance to Ukraine.

"Presidential drawdown packages are going to continue," she said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19 that Kyiv did not disclose its plans to enter Kursk Oblast prior to the incursion because of Western allies' fears of Russian "red lines."

Zelensky called on Western partners to be "in sync" with Ukraine in their determination to force Russia to a just peace.

Rather than capturing Russian territory, Ukraine's statet aim with the incursion is to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements from the front lines.

Singh confirmed on Aug. 19 that Russian troops were moving in Ukraine, but did not provide details.

"I couldn't tell you exactly where they're pulling their forces from," she said.

As Ukraine’s Kursk incursion wins US support, will fears of Russian escalation fade?
Russia has a “real dilemma,” U.S. President Joe Biden said on Aug. 13, seven days after Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast. On the defensive side of the full-scale war for the first time, Moscow is in an unexpected bind. “It’s creating a real dilemma
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"Russian military personnel know exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can stay in the air," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, commenting on the attacks. "The routes are always calculated. This cannot be an accident, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders."

It is the third time Russian forces have used pipelines as a tactic, which they first adopted during the Battle of Avdiivka. Back in March, around 100 troops passed through a gas pipeline to reach Ukrainian positions in Sudzha, in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

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