Russian forces have launched a significant counter-offensive against Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, recapturing several villages and pushing Ukrainian forces to the east of the Malaya Loknya river. The Russian defense ministry claims to have defeated Ukrainian units in numerous villages, but there has been no independent confirmation or comment from Ukraine. The conflict has also seen heavy fighting, with Ukraine’s air force shooting down 44 out of 64 drones launched by Russia overnight.
The Institute for the Study of War reports that Russian forces began counterattacks in the Kursk oblast, seizing settlements and provoking a fluid situation. Maj Gen Apti Alaudinov, leading Chechnya’s Akhmat special forces, stated that Russian troops have regained control of around 10 settlements in Kursk. The UK’s foreign secretary and the US secretary of state have returned to Poland after visiting Ukraine and hint at lifting restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons on Russian targets.
The potential decision to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow cruise missiles on Russian targets has already been made in private, but is not expected to be publicly announced during upcoming meetings between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden. The conflict continues to escalate, with clear impacts on civilian infrastructure and civilian displacement in key areas like Pokrovsk and Konotop. These developments are indicative of a violent and evolving military situation in the region.
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