>From today's Washington Post
Accessibility statementSkip to main contentDemocracy Dies in Darkness
War in Ukraine
Verified videos Donbas region Russian combat capabilities HIMARS
Ukraine offensive in Russia larger than Kursk region, soldiers say
Ukraine says Russia has been in contact about a new prisoner exchange amid
reports that hundreds of Russian servicemen have been seized in the Kursk
operation.
By Siobhán O'Grady
,
Tetiana Burianova
,
David L. Stern
and
Robyn Dixon
Updated August 15, 2024 at 12:22 p.m. EDT|Published August 15, 2024 at 8:25
a.m. EDT
SUMY, Ukraine — Ukraine solidified its control over the parts of Russia’s Kursk
region it has taken in a 10-day offensive, announcing Thursday the appointment
of a military commander to manage the area as well as new battlefield
successes.In the city of Sumy, not far from where Ukrainian forces surprised
the world by storming into Russia, wounded soldiers also described operations
in the Belgorod region to the south, suggesting an even larger scale to the
offensive, which is changing perceptions abroad that Ukraine has been on the
losing end of the conflict.In contrast to the relatively easier time had by
Ukraine’s forces in Kursk — including news of another 100 Russian troops
captured, the intelligence service announced Thursday — the fighting in
Belgorod has been fierce.Three soldiers, including one commander, described how
after months of being deployed along the border, they were sent into Russia.
They crossed in a fleet of armored vehicles in broad daylight four days ago,
said Hacker, speaking on the condition that he only be identified by his first
name or call sign, in keeping with Ukrainian military rules.
As they prepared to cross the border at Kolotilovka, in the same location where
prisoners of war have previously been exchanged, he recalled thinking to
himself that this was a crazy move.
Follow World news
In contrast to the quick advances through Kursk, the troops in Belgorod
appeared prepared for their arrival. The area was fortified with dragon’s teeth
antitank obstacles and heavily mined, and troops came under intense attack by
artillery, drones and airstrikes almost immediately.The Ukrainians pushed
forward about six miles, the soldiers said, seizing abandoned Russian troop
positions. But the fighting remained intense. “All our group was injured the
day we arrived,” Hacker said. He feared he might be killed in Russia, “because
we didn’t know their territory.”
“We were working blind,” he added. Russia has not acknowledged ground fighting
in Belgorod, but the governor there did declare a state of emergency earlier in
the week.
Many troops were concussed or heavily wounded, while others were killed and had
to be left behind, Hacker said. Shelling remained so intense that survivors had
to take cover in Russian trenches for days, until an armored vehicle arrived to
evacuate them for medical treatment early Thursday.
Among the six who were evacuated was commander Serhii, 48, whose right leg was
badly wounded by a drone more than a day earlier. He underwent surgery
immediately upon arrival in Ukraine on Thursday. “We were shelled by
everything,” he said.The grim fighting was in sharp contrast to an almost
celebratory mood by Ukrainian officials, with army commander Col. Gen.
Oleksandr Syrsky announcing Thursday the appointment of a military commander
for the Kursk region “to maintain law and order and ensure the basic needs of
the population.” The announcement echoes Russia’s own moves to administer the
parts of Ukraine it occupies.
Advertisement
The intelligence service also said that another 100 Russian soldiers were taken
in an operation it described as the “largest mass capture” of enemy soldiers at
one time, amid talk that they will be exchanged for Ukrainian captives.Speaking
about the operation, which took place the previous day, a Ukrainian
intelligence officer said that special forces from Ukraine’s state security
service, or SBU, “captured and cleared a sprawling … and well-fortified
stronghold of a company,” taking prisoner 102 Russian servicemen.
The captured soldiers were from Russia’s 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment
and the Akhmat unit, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity
because of the sensitivity of the subject.A video provided by the official
showed dozens of soldiers lying in a line, face down in an open field. Their
faces and battle insignia were not visible. The Washington Post could not
independently verify the footage.
A Ukrainian official said Russia has been in contact about a prisoner swap —
something it had promised to discontinue after the incursion into the southern
Kursk region took place.
“There was an initiative from the Russian counterpart regarding this issue. I
really hope that, despite the public statements by Russian media that allegedly
the Russians have decided to halt exchanges, we are still exchanging
information at this time,” Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s human
rights commissioner, told local media late Wednesday.In a video address Tuesday
evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky said “hundreds of Russian soldiers have
already surrendered.” Ukrainian officials have said that a main reason for the
surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was to halt cross-border missile
attacks and shelling into Ukraine’s neighboring Sumy region.
Advertisement
Ukraine was creating a “security zone” in Kursk, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna
Vereshchuk said in a Telegram post Wednesday.
“There are Russian civilians within the specified zone,” Vereshchuk wrote.
“They are under the protection of international humanitarian law, with which
Ukraine fully complies.”Russia’s efforts to take back ground in Kursk,
meanwhile, have been hampered by infighting between different military and
security units, according to nationalist military bloggers who are blaming
various military commanders and calling for their dismissal.After the initial
swift advance, Ukraine’s progress in Kursk region has slowed as it has faced
tougher resistance. Maxar satellite images show Russian forces digging trenches
in effort to halt any possible advance toward Lgov, west of the city of Kursk.
Advertisement
On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, a civilian economist
appointed in May for his capacity to ramp up military production and enhance
efficiency, announced plans at a meeting of regional governors to increase
supplies of military hardware and manpower to the Kursk region.
The meeting appeared to be tacit admission of inadequate manpower, hardware and
poor coordination in the 10 days since the attack. Belousov said the military
had prepared a plan “to enhance the efficiency of troop control in coordination
with other security agencies” in the region.
On Thursday an additional district in Kursk region, Glushkovo, with a
population of 18,000, was evacuated, taking the total number ordered to
evacuate to around 180,000.
Stern reported from Kyiv and Dixon from Riga, Latvia. Kostiantyn Khudov in Kyiv
contributed to this report.Understanding the Russia-Ukraine conflict
HAND CURATED
• How Russia learned from mistakes to slow Ukraine’s counteroffensive
September 8, 2023
• Before Prigozhin plane crash, Russia was preparing for life after Wagner
August 28, 2023
• Inside the Russian effort to build 6,000 attack drones with Iran’s help
August 17, 2023
NewsletterAs news breaks
World News Alerts
Breaking news email alerts for major happenings around the world.
Advertisement
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Company
•
About The Post
• Newsroom Policies & Standards
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Careers
• Media & Community Relations
• WP Creative Group
• Accessibility Statement
• Sitemap
Get The Post
•
Manage Your Subscription
• Gift Subscriptions
• Mobile & Apps
• Newsletters & Alerts
• Washington Post Live
• Reprints & Permissions
• Post Store
• Books & E-Books
• Print Archives (Subscribers Only)
• Today’s Paper
• Public Notices
Contact Us
•
Contact the Newsroom
• Contact Customer Care
• Contact the Opinions Team
• Advertise
• Licensing & Syndication
• Request a Correction
• Send a News Tip
• Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
•
Digital Products Terms of Sale
• Print Products Terms of Sale
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Settings
• Submissions & Discussion Policy
• RSS Terms of Service
• Ad Choices
• Your Privacy Choices
washingtonpost.com © 1996-2024 The Washington Post
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group.
View/Reply Online (#31649): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31649
Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107915103/21656
-=-=-
POSTING RULES & NOTES
#1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
#2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived.
#3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern.
#4 Do not exceed five posts a day.
-=-=-
Group Owner: [email protected]
Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy
[[email protected]]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
