The operation of Ukrainian troops in the Russian Kursk region began in the morning of August 6.
The Ukrainian side only officially recognized its activity in Kursk and the presence of the Armed Forces in Russia on August 12. However, neither the military nor the authorities have disclosed details about the operation.
At the same time, some information is still being released, which allows us to find out additional data on the situation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, where the Armed Forces operation is underway: to build a chronology of events, and, thanks to analysts and additional tools, to understand where the fighting is taking place in the Kursk region.
You can view a map of the hostilities and find out what is happening in the Kursk region on Fakty ICTV.
- What is happening in the Kursk region: a chronology of events
- August 6th.
- August 7th.
- August 8th.
- August 9th.
- August 10th.
- August 11th.
- August 12th.
- August 13th.
- August 14th.
- Map of hostilities – Kursk region
What is happening in the Kursk region: a chronology of events
August 6th.
The operation in the Kursk region began in the morning on Tuesday, August 6th. Ukrainian troops crossed the border with Russia and began to advance into the Sudzha and Korenevsk districts of Kursk region.
Due to the unpreparedness of the Russian side – insufficient number of experienced personnel, general lack of forces and means, lack of intelligence – the advance of the Ukrainian military had additional success, as it allowed them to take control of a number of settlements and capture many Russians.
The Russian Federation reported that about 300 Ukrainian troops, 11 tanks, and more than 20 armored combat vehicles had entered Kursk region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced toward the settlements of Oleshnya, Sudzha, and Mykolaiv-Daryino.
In response to the advance of the Ukrainian military, the Russian army tried to return fire, in particular, by attacking the Sumy region. In the evening of August the 6th, a ballistic missile, two drones, and a helicopter were destroyed over Sumy region.
Later, photos of two destroyed tanks of the Russian occupation army appeared.
August 7th.
According to journalist Dan Sabb, who covers defense and security issues for The Guardian, as of the morning of August 7, Ukrainian troops had advanced to a distance of about 9.5 km. At the same time, there were reports of the Ukrainian Armed Forces approaching the town of Sudzhi.
Since the Ukrainian side does not officially comment on the movement of Ukrainian troops, or deliberately provides it with a lag, as the Deepstate portal does, the so-called Russian military officials have begun to actively disseminate information. According to their information, as of August 7, Sudzha was in an operational encirclement.
It was only on that day, August 7, that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin decided to convene the Russian Security Council. During his speech, he called the fighting in the Kursk region a “large-scale provocation.”
Also on Wednesday, photos and videos appeared of Russian troops (according to various sources, border guards and conscripts) surrendering en masse to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Videos of several Ukrainian soldiers capturing Russians, who far outnumbered them, were posted online. Later, video interviews with the captives, who could be identified and confirmed to be Russian citizens, were posted.
Later, reports began to emerge that within a day, Ukrainian troops had managed to advance to the town of Korenevo, 20 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Also in the evening, in the Kursk region, an FPV drone strike damaged a car driven by Russian military commander Yevgeny Piddubny. As it later became known, Piddubny survived, but suffered numerous injuries and burns, and was transported to Moscow for treatment.
August 8th.
According to journalists from the Russian news outlet Agency, Ukrainian troops were able to break through two lines of defense of the Russian army, which were being built in the Kursk region. This cost the Russians about 15 billion rubles.
Telegram channels reported that in the morning, small arms fighting continued around Sudzha.
Also, according to observers, the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has spread to a distance of 35 kilometers beyond the Ukrainian border.
August 9th.
As early as Friday, August 9, the total area of hostilities expanded to 600 square kilometers, according to Radio Liberty observers.
In the morning, footage of a broken column of the Russian army moving along the Hlukhiv-Kursk highway near the village of Oktyabrske in the Rylsk district also appeared.
Video footage of the aftermath of the strike on the convoy shows at least 14 damaged trucks with military personnel. The bodies of Russian soldiers can also be seen in the bodies of the military vehicles, which, according to some observers, indicates that the Russians did not even have time to jump out of the vehicles at the time of the strike.
Estimates of Russian losses after the strike vary. According to NEXTA, Russian losses after this strike could reach up to 500 people.
– Each of these trucks can carry up to 35 fully equipped soldiers. The video shows 14 destroyed vehicles, suggesting that the Russian army could have lost between 200 and 490 soldiers in one night as a result of the strike. This could be one of the largest massive losses of the Russian army since the beginning of the full-scale war,” the report said.
Other observers are in no hurry to give specific figures, and some of them are more conservative. For example, Ukrainian journalist and military correspondent Yuriy Butusov points out that the video shows “many dozens of Russian soldiers” who were killed.
Following the breakdown of the Russian military convoy, it became known that Russian troops had sent other reinforcements to the combat zone in the Kursk region.
At the same time, Ihor Korpunkov, the mayor of the city of Kurchatov, where the Kursk NPP is located, said that the fighting was taking place tens of kilometers away from the plant. According to Russian media reports, Rosatom has temporarily reduced the number of personnel at the nuclear power plant and the units under construction, and everything has been de-energized.
In turn, the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, said that a fire broke out in one of the districts as a result of a Ukrainian UAV striking a transformer substation. He did not provide evidence of Ukraine’s involvement in the strike. According to him, after the accident, Kurchatov, as well as parts of Kurchatov, Oktyabrsky, Velikosoldatsky, Oboyansky and Belovsky districts remained without power.
Another Russian Mi-8 helicopter was also destroyed by an FPV drone. According to volunteer and activist Serhiy Sternenko, the helicopter was hit in the tail section.
August 10th.
On the night of August 10, Russia introduced its largest-ever counterterrorism operation (CTO) regime. It was established in three regions at once due to the offensive of Ukrainian troops. This refers to the regime of the counter-terrorist operation in Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions, as reported by the National Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAC) and the administrations of the Russian regions.
The Russian NAC says that the measure is connected with Ukraine’s attempt to “destabilize the situation” in the three Russian border regions.
Russian media write that in terms of the number of people covered (about 4 million people), the current regime of the CTO has become the largest in the history of Russia.
At the same time, videos and photos of newly captured Russians traveling by car, probably to the territory of Ukraine, continued to be reported.
Also on Saturday, footage emerged of a group of Ukrainian soldiers entering the village of Poroz in the Belgorod region of Russia. Analysts and military observers say the move could be a way to disperse Russian troops, but the final situation remains unclear at the time of publication.
August 11th.
On the night of August 11, the Ukrainian Defense Forces allegedly advanced toward Bilove district in Kursk region, south of Suzhansky district. At least, this information was first reported by Russian pro-war bloggers. Later, this information was confirmed by the head of the Bilovsk district, Mykola Volobuyev.
According to Volobuev, “confusion and panic” was created among the residents of the region due to the advance of Ukrainian troops, but he assured that “the situation is stable.”
As for other districts of Kursk region, the situation remains unclear, although a number of sources, including Russian ones, reported that the Ukrainian army had made breakthroughs in certain areas. This information was not confirmed by any photo or video evidence.
At the same time, a mass evacuation of the local population is taking place in the Kursk region. Thus, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, more than 76 thousand residents of the region were evacuated.
On August 11, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted a photo of himself standing next to a map, and in the post on his Telegram channel he wrote: “We continue the operation.”
August 12th.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recognized the involvement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
– We see how Russia under Putin is actually moving: 24 years ago, there was the Kursk disaster – the symbolic beginning of his rule. Now we can see what is the end of it. And it is Kursk, too. The catastrophe of his war. This always happens to those who despise people and any rules,” the President of Ukraine said.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said that Ukraine controls about 1,000 square kilometers in the Kursk region.
According to the president, these are the areas from which the Russian army launched attacks on Sumy region. As of today and since June 1, there have been almost 2.1 thousand attacks on the territory of the Ukrainian region.
The Head of State emphasized that the operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kursk region are a purely security issue for Ukraine and the liberation of the border from Russian troops.
Russian propagandists have already announced 28 captured settlements in the Kursk region. At the same time, Deep State project analysts report 44 settlements.
In particular, it became known about the removal of the Russian flag in the village of Daryino, Suzha district, Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
August 13th.
The operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region is putting Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in a real dilemma, US President Joe Biden has commented for the first time.
– This creates a real dilemma for Putin. We are in direct and constant contact with Ukrainians. That’s all I can say about it as the offensive continues,” Joe Biden said in a commentary to foreign journalists.
This was the first official comment by US President Joe Biden after the start of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in Kursk region.
On the afternoon of August 13, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region were under Ukraine’s control.
According to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian troops have advanced in some areas by 1 to 3 km. According to him, 40 square kilometers of the Kursk region have been taken under control.
Among these settlements is Lyubymivka, Kursk region, which is under Ukrainian control. The settlement has been cleared of Russian troops, as stated by the Black Swan unit of the 225th Separate Brigade.
Photo: Black Swan 225th Brigade unit
Russia has to move troops to the Kursk region from Kaliningrad and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, from Crimea, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
For example, Russian marines from the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were transferred to Kursk region, as stated by the occupying governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine is expanding the area of combat operations in the Kursk region of Russia.
The Head of State noted that hundreds of Russian soldiers have already surrendered. He promised that all of them would receive humane treatment, which they did not receive even in their own Russian army. The President also thanked the Ukrainian defenders for replenishing the exchange fund.
August 14th.
On Wednesday, on the 9th day of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in Kursk region, Chief Syrsky reported that over 100 Russian soldiers were captured in the first half of the day, and that they advanced in various parts of Kursk region.
– From one to two kilometers in different areas since the beginning of the day. And more than 100 more captured Russian servicemen over the same period. I am grateful to everyone involved. This will speed up the return home of our boys and girls,” President Zelenskyy said after the report by Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Syrsky.
In addition, he said that Ukrainian troops had inspected and cleared the village of Sudzha in the Kursk region.
Subsequently, the President of Ukraine held a meeting on the situation in Kursk and reported that the issue of establishing military commandant’s offices in the Russian region was discussed.
In parallel with Syrsky’s statement, information appears in the public domain that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced and occupied several settlements.
It is noted that the main advance of Ukrainian forces took place south of Suzha, and clashes with enemy troops were recorded in the Korenivka district. At the same time, there is information about the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the village of Makhnivka.
The villages of Spalne and Plekhove deserve special attention, as they open the way for Ukrainian defenders to the south of Kursk region. As for Plekhove, there are even photos and videos showing the Ukrainian Armed Forces moving armored vehicles along one of the streets.
At the same time, OSINT analysts have recorded Russia’s construction of fortifications in Kursk region, 45 kilometers from the state border of Ukraine, near the town of Lgov.
Map of hostilities – Kursk region
Today, it is not known for certain what the situation is in the Russian Kursk region. The vast majority of information comes from Russian sources, while the Ukrainian side effectively maintains a regime of information silence, not disclosing information about its actions, as this could pose a danger to the defenders of the Defense Forces.
Due to this limited data in open sources, one of the main sources of information is the enemy’s resources, namely pro-Russian military officers and bloggers who actively publish data on the fighting in Kursk region. In addition, from time to time, open sources provide information that further explains the events in the Kursk region, which ultimately provides an understanding of what is happening on the ground.
Given the security situation, Deepstate, one of the most reputable portals that regularly records events on the map of hostilities, refused to update the current information, as it could endanger the safety of the Ukrainian military. Instead, the portal decided to provide data with a certain time lag.
And analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have created their own map, which outlines their vision of the fighting in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
ISW observers write that the Kremlin’s announcement of a counterterrorist operation in three regions of the Russian Federation, rather than martial law or martial law, indicates that the Russian authorities want to downplay the scale of the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region and prevent “panic or a backlash at home, demonstrating the Kremlin’s reluctance to take more radical measures in response to the situation.”
The analysts note that some leading Russian bloggers suggested that the Kremlin “officially declare war on Ukraine” and “criticized the Kremlin for not declaring martial law instead of a counterterrorism operation.”
According to ISW, the declaration of martial law, in particular, would allow the Russian authorities to take “more decisive measures, such as banning rallies and demonstrations, imposing curfews, and organizing the production of defense products for the army.”
Photo: ISW
Special attention should be paid to NASA FIRMS heat maps, which in civilian times record high temperature data via satellites and help track fire hotspots. In times of war, this data additionally helps to determine where exactly the fighting is going on, as FIRMS satellites record the locations of explosions and fires after arrivals.
Thus, according to FIRMS data for the last 24 hours, the fighting continues over an area of at least 1.9 thousand kilometers.
Photo: FIRMS / NASA
As a reminder, in parallel with the fighting in Kursk region, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko ordered to increase military presence on the Gomel and Mozyr tactical directions bordering Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
The head of the National Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, has already stated that Belarus’ massing of weapons to the border is an attempt to help Putin and divert the attention of the Ukrainian command to that area.
Photo: Necro Mancer