As Ukrainian forces lose their advantage in the Kursk region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, visit Kyiv to discuss strikes deep into Russia.
Ukrainian and Russian media report a continuing offensive by Russian troops in Korenevsky District, the Kursk region. According to preliminary reports, the servicemen seized Obukhovka. Russian paratroopers also took 10-Y Oktyabr and gained a foothold in Snagost.
A group of Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly captured during the fighting.
Amid reports of a retreat from Vishnevka, the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the region is close to dire. Ukrainian troops have been pulling in personnel and equipment, consolidating in the woods between the railway and the Seim River, according to reports. Meanwhile, the Russians captured the village of Apanasovka, setting the stage for an encirclement.
Fighting also continues in the vicinity of Olgovka and Kremyanoe. According to Russian media, Russian troops launched an offensive in that area, but the results remain unknown.
In the area around the town of Sudzha, clashes are still ongoing. Russian troops reportedly attacked near Kamyshovka and Pogrebki towards Malaya Loknya. Russian media shared footage of an Orion reconnaissance and strike UAV hitting a Ukrainian tank, presumably a T-64BV.
Military experts noted that this was only a tenth of the territory the AFU captured in August. However, they also emphasised that after the seizure of the southwestern sector, Russian troops gained access to land supplies. Ukrainian troops also lost offensive efficiency amid the threat of a flank attack, they added.
Against the backdrop of the predicament in the Kursk region, Blinken and Lammy travelled to Kyiv to discuss lifting the ban on strikes against Russia. However, the Financial Times reported that the authorisation issue brought a rift in US President Joe Biden’s administration.
The Pentagon claimed Russia had already moved its planes to airfields outside the range of US long-range ATACMS missiles. Earlier, the secretary of state did not rule out that the US might allow Kyiv to strike Russia with long-range weapons.
However, experts warned that Zelensky’s administration could face a political split as lawmakers would start questioning the need to launch the Kursk incursion. Ukrainian military commanders and ordinary soldiers may be outraged if the AFU leaves the region, having already lost many lives.
