Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region failed to distract Russian troops from the Donbas, and now the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are losing their defensive positions there. While the United States is allocating another aid package, the United Kingdom allows Kyiv to hit Russian territories with its missiles.
Exchange of Kursk for Donbas: failed gamble?
Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia was not withdrawing its troops from the Pokrovsk area due to the Kursk operation, but instead was concentrating its efforts there.
A local resident published a video describing the situation in the city of Pokrovsk, the Donetsk region.
[This is] Pokrovsk, my friends. The police are all out. This one, whatchamacallit, the Rada [council] head and all its members also went away. Poor people don’t know where to go: half of them can’t leave because they just don’t have money. That’s how Pokrovsk looks now. And I’m just going to get a haircut.
Ukrainian media report that over the past 24 hours, out of 170 military clashes, the AFU repelled almost a third of them near Pokrovsk. Military experts call the situation critical, while Syrskyi noted the failed attempt to divert Russian troops from the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk regions).
People’s Deputy Mariana Bezuhla noted that the AFU was retreating in Donbas, forced to abandon positions.
Ammunition is not added, the Russians are passing through empty fortifications. Under such circumstances, the occupation of Pokrovsk is a matter of the near future, with Toretsk rounding off its last days. It looks as if we are ceding [the Donetsk region].
According to Ukrainian media, Russian troops seized Kostiantynivka, located north-east of Vuhledar. Russian sources also shared drone footage of the Russian flag waving in the west of Kostiantynivka.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack on border settlements in the Kursk region as a “preventive strike” and an attempt to “force Russia to accept a just peace.”
I do believe that the operation in the Kursk region is successful.
On 27 August, Zelensky endorsed Russia’s presence at the second summit to resolve the military conflict. He also stated that the countries could refuse to participate if Russian representatives were absent.
As for [the participation of] Russian representatives at the second peace summit: this is the wish of all countries. (…) They believe that in this way there may be a chance of ending [the war].
Zelensky’s conference
On Tuesday, Zelensky held a conference for Ukrainian media.
I had a conversation with the US president [Joe Biden], and n decided to give us a new aid package. Thank you very much, but there is a small problem – we need this package to be delivered to us after Biden as well. (…) Thank you partners for giving us F-16s, but, again, it’s not enough. There are very few F-16s, and we need to do more training missions.
Asked how Kyiv’s allies explain keeping separate restrictions on the use of their weapons for strikes against Russia, Zelensky said they “try not to talk to me about it.”
Meanwhile, US officials stated that they did not plan to lift the current restrictions on the AFU strikes with US weapons deep inside Russia, despite Zelensky’s statements. However, the UK backed Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory, according to The Telegraph.
Commenting on the air confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that NATO was “sceptical” of Zelensky’s proposal to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory.
Talks without “papers”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the consequences for the US for involvement in the attack on Kursk Region would be “much heavier than they have been so far.” Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged Kyiv’s allies to reject the peace formula proposed by Zelensky if they were “sincerely interested” in peace talks.
All these Bürgenstock [peace talks] and so-called peace formulas are from the wicked. If the West is really interested (…) in normalising the situation in Europe (…), then we should sit down at the negotiating table calmly, without any papers in our hand called ‘Zelensky’s formula’ and start talking honestly.
The Russian military published a video of captured AFU soldiers in the Kursk region.
Q: What task did you come here with?
A: We thank the 382nd battalion for keeping us alive. All the others should be sent to Stepan Bandera.
Q: We had the Independence Day of Ukraine the day before yesterday. What do you want to tell your countrymen?
A: F*ck yourselves, no Independence Day for you. Kursk was and remains the Russian land. Lay down your weapons and don’t stick your noses in there.
