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Ukraine hits second bridge in Russia’s Kursk region

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A Russian investigator confirmed that Ukraine on Sunday had struck and damaged a third bridge over the River Seym in Russia’s Kursk region.

A video statement from a representative of Russia’s Investigative Committee was posted on Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov’s Telegram channel.

Ukraine’s commander said on Sunday that the Ukrainian air force had destroyed another strategic bridge over the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region, limiting the supply capacity of a Russian group opposing the Ukrainian advance.

It comes as Russia launched its third ballistic missile on Kyiv this month in retaliation for Ukraine’s shock incursion, with preliminary data showing that all the air weapons were destroyed on their approach to the city.

Western military analysts say there were three bridges in the area of the Ukrainian army’s offensive through which Russia supplies its forces – and two of them have been either destroyed or seriously damaged.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air defence units repelled Russia’s overnight air attacks, including on Kyiv, destroying all 11 drones that Moscow launched targeting Ukraine’s territory. The drones were downed over the Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk regions, the Ukraine’s air force said this morning.

Key Points

  • Third bridge in Kursk destroyed - preliminary reports
  • Ukraine destroys second bridge in Kursk
  • Satellite imagery shows Russian pontoon bridge constructed in Kursk
  • Kursk incursion is ‘buffer zone’ on Russian soil, says Zelensky
  • Zelensky ‘directly’ asks the US, the UK and France for help
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Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?

Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?

After Ukraine’s audacious incursion into the Kursk region – which made Putin the first Russian leader since 1941 to suffer a foreign invasion – establishing a full demilitarised zone between the warring neighbours could yet prove useful in the event of Donald Trump’s re-election, says Sean O’Grady

Tom Watling19 August 2024 17:00 1724079654

Lithuania begins construction of base for German troops near Russian border

Lithuania on Monday began construction of a military base, which will accommodate up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops once completed by the end of 2027, in the first permanent foreign deployment for the German military since World War Two.

Germany committed to deploy troops in the Nato and European Union member, which borders Russia, last year. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius compared the decision to the posting of allied forces in West Germany during the Cold War to defend Western Europe in case of a Soviet attack.

Lithuanian chief of defence Raimundas Vaiksnoras estimated the country would spend more than 1 billion euros over the next three years to develop the base, in one of the largest construction projects in its history.

It’s “a huge investment” for a nation of 2.9 million with an economy a tenth the size of Germany’s, Vaiksnoras said on the sidelines of a launch ceremony.

“The brigade will work as reassurance to our population and as deterrence, to push the Russians out,” he added.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas applies concrete to bury a symbolic time capsule at the construction site of the German army base in Rudninkai, Lithuania (REUTERS)
Tom Watling19 August 2024 16:00 1724078270

Satellite imagery shows Russian pontoon bridge in Kursk

Earlier, we reported that Russia appears to have begun constructing a pontoon bridge in Kursk over the Seym River after reports that Ukraine were striking bridges in the area.

Below, satellite imagery appears to show that pontoon bridge.

Tom Watling19 August 2024 15:37 1724076054

Modi to visit Ukraine later this week

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on 23 August, at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the foreign ministry has announced.

The pair will discuss their countries' relations and multilateral cooperation during Modi's visit to Kyiv, the Ukrainian presidential office said on Monday.

"This is the first visit of the head of the Indian government to our country in the history of bilateral relations," the office said in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last May (via REUTERS)
Tom Watling19 August 2024 15:00 1724074254

Ukraine strikes third bridge in Kursk as part of cross-border attack into Russia

Ukraine strikes third bridge in Kursk as part of cross-border attack into Russia

Ukrainian war analsyts suggest Kyiv’s troops in Russia could look to take hundreds more square miles of the Kursk region

Tom Watling19 August 2024 14:30 1724072424

Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?

Explained: Ukraine destroys Kursk bridges in bid to encircle Russia’s troops

Russian officials say that a third bridge has been targeted in the Kursk region, causing concern from Moscow military bloggers that troops could be trapped

Tom Watling19 August 2024 14:00 1724070734

UK support for Ukraine remains unwavering, says PM Starmer's spokesperson

Britain’s support for Ukraine remains unwavering, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, in response to comments by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who said London’s support was weakening.

Mr Zelensky said at the weekend that although Britain’s leadership had saved thousands of lives since the start of the war with Russia, support had recently “slowed down”.

“The prime minister remains absolutely resolute in his support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said. “In terms of our support, again, it is unwavering.”

The spokesperson added there was no change to the government’s position on the use of British supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 19 (Benjamin Cremel/PA) (PA Wire)
Tom Watling19 August 2024 13:32 1724068854

Disarray in Putin’s military command exposed by Ukraine’s attack in Russia, says Zelensky’s chief adviser

Disarray in Putin’s military command exposed by Ukraine attack, says Zelensky adviser

Exclusive: Mykhailo Podolyak tells The Independent that the cross-border assault into the Kursk region shows that Putin has ‘very little control’ over the border

Tom Watling19 August 2024 13:00 1724067054

Kyiv expects Russia to build up troops in Ukraine

Ukraine expects Russia to build up its forces in Ukraine to 800,000 by the year’s end, Forbes Ukraine reported on Monday citing Deputy Defence Minister Ivan Havryliuk.

Currently, there are around 600,000 Russian troops in occupied territories of Ukraine, the media report said referring to Havryliuk’s statement.

Tom Watling19 August 2024 12:30 1724065844

Warlord invites Musk to Russia after machine-gun Cybertruck video

Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov has invited Elon Musk to Russia after sharing a video of him behind the wheel of one of the company’s Cybertrucks mounted with a machine gun.

In a clip posted on Kadyrov’s Telegram channel, the self-styled strongman was seen taking the stainless steel-clad Cybertruck for a leisurely drive before standing astride the machine gun mounted in the truck bed, draped with belts of ammunition.

Warlord invites Elon Musk to Russia after he’s filmed on machine-gun Cybertruck

He claimed the Cybertruck will be used by Russian forces fighting in the invasion of Ukraine

Salma Ouaguira19 August 2024 12:10 Newer1 / 9Older

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