On Tuesday, August 13, a drone launched by Ukraine bombed two regions in Russia, while Ukrainian ground forces attempted to break through Russian defense lines and continued to advance. This marks the largest counterattack by Ukrainian forces on Russian soil since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to reports by Reuters, over the past week, Ukrainian troops have crossed over 530 kilometers southwest of Moscow along the Russian border, expanding the front line into Russian territory where fierce battles are ongoing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine’s sudden attack was aimed at gaining an advantage in future ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, as well as slowing down the Russian military’s advance in Ukrainian territory.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian air defense forces destroyed 14 drones launched by Ukraine, including 12 over Kursk Oblast and one each over Bryansk Oblast and Voronezh Oblast. Officials in Kursk and Bryansk issued missile attack warnings.
The Ukrainian military said they have gained control of 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory during the week-long offensive. However, Russian officials stated that the occupied territory is less than 500 square kilometers.
War blogs from Russia reported intense battles on the Kursk frontlines, where Ukrainian forces attempted to expand their front in cities like Lgov, Korenevo, and Sordatskoye in Kursk region. Ukrainian forces claim Russia is mobilizing troops and heavy weapons, repelling some Ukrainian attacks.
Russia supplies natural gas through Ukraine to Slovakia and other EU countries via Western Siberia. The fighting near the gas supply station in Sudeza in Kursk region has drawn attention.
Gazprom, the Russian natural gas giant, stated on Monday, August 12, that their operations are still running smoothly.
Reports from Russian war blogs and Ukrainian Telegram channels mentioned that Ukrainian forces have taken control of Sudeza. However, these battlefield reports have not been independently verified, and Russian authorities have not released information on the situation in Sudeza.
In 2023, around 14.65 billion cubic meters of natural gas were supplied through Sudeza, representing half of Russia’s natural gas exports to Europe and 5% of EU consumption.
Ukraine’s offensive highlights the effectiveness of highly mobile small units when facing the numerically superior Russian forces, although Ukrainian deployment in Kursk could weaken their capabilities in other regions.
Russia reported progress in other regions on Monday, despite having to mobilize reserves to halt Ukrainian advances.
Ukrainian President Zelensky stated in his speech on Monday night that this operation is crucial for Ukrainian security, as Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine from the Kursk region.
Zelensky said, “If Putin wants to fight so badly, we must force him to seek peace.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and currently occupies 18% of Ukrainian territory.
Local Russian officials reported that 121,000 people have evacuated or left Kursk region, with an additional 59,000 in the process of leaving. The governor of Bryansk Oblast, bordering Kursk, mentioned that 11,000 civilians are also evacuating from their region.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated on Tuesday that Russia launched 38 attack drones and two ballistic missiles towards Ukraine overnight. Earlier that day, Ukraine was under nationwide air raid alerts, which were later lifted.