Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made his first visit to the border area where his forces launched a surprise offensive into Russia. During his visit to Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, Zelenskyy announced that his military had taken control of another Russian village and captured more prisoners of war. The new POWs from the Russian region of Kursk will contribute to an “exchange fund” to swap for captured Ukrainians. Zelenskyy did not name the newly captured village and refrained from crossing over into Russia, as that would have been seen as a provocation by Moscow. He emphasized that Ukraine does not plan to occupy the area long term but aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks from that area into Ukraine.
The Kursk operation launched on August 6 has led to a reduction in Russian shelling and civilian casualties in the Sumy region. Additionally, Ukraine intensified its attacks on Russia, with a Ukrainian strike hitting a cargo ferry loaded with fuel tanks at the port of Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region, sparking a blaze. The port is located on the Kerch Strait, linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Videos posted on Russian Telegram channels purportedly show a massive fire caused by the strike. The daring Ukrainian foray into Russian territory has rattled the Kremlin and exposed Russia’s vulnerability, undermining President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to downplay the impact of the ongoing conflict. Ukraine’s push into Russia marks the first capture of Russian territory since World War II, occurring as Kyiv continues to lose ground in eastern Ukraine.
Authorities in the Russian city of Kursk have begun to put up concrete shelters at bus stops and other locations in anticipation of potential shelling. Similar work will be carried out in Zheleznogorsk and Kurchatov, where a nuclear power plant is located. Russian President Putin has ordered the creation of self-defense units in Russian regions bordering Ukraine to enhance security measures. Over 133,000 people have left areas affected by the fighting in the Kursk region, while more than 19,000 have chosen to stay. Training for emergency evacuation has been conducted in the Bryansk region as a precautionary measure. The Russian Defense Ministry reported repelling Ukrainian attacks in several villages in the Kursk region, while 114 schools in border regions will start teaching remotely at the beginning of September.
In Donetsk, part of the industrial Donbas region, the Russian military has claimed control of the Ukrainian village of Mezhove as both sides in the conflict use drones to launch attacks deep behind enemy lines. Ukraine conducted an overnight drone attack on Russia with 28 drones, with some being shot down over various Russian regions. The Volgograd region’s military facility caught fire after being attacked by drones in the area of Marinovka, near a Russian military air base. Reports indicate that drones were responsible for the attack on the Marinovka airfield. Fires have been ongoing in the Rostov region, where firefighters have been struggling to extinguish flames at an oil depot following a Ukrainian attack in the town of Proletarsk. Satellite images show the intensity of the fires at the oil depot, with storage tanks engulfed in flames and thick black smoke drifting west over Proletarsk.
The situation between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate, with both sides engaging in military operations and drone attacks across their borders. The conflict has led to casualties, displacements, and significant damage to infrastructure in the affected regions. President Zelenskyy’s visit to the border area and the reported advancements made by the Ukrainian military demonstrate the ongoing intensity of the situation. Meanwhile, Russian authorities are taking measures to protect their citizens in border regions and have reported repelling Ukrainian attacks. The international community closely monitors the developments in the region, with concerns about the implications of the conflict on regional stability and global security.
