Ukraine Situation Report: Cross-Border Raid Shakes Russia’s Kursk Region
Thomas Newdick
12 min read
Russia battled an incursion by Ukraine into Kursk Oblast on Tuesday.
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Russia claims it repelled an armored attack inside its borders. The fighting took place in the Kursk region abutting Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.
Starting at 8 a.m. local time, ”up to 300 Ukrainian militants of the AFU 22nd Mechanised Brigade supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored fighting vehicles launched an attack following preparatory fire at the positions of the Russian State Border Covering Force near Nikolayevo-Daryino and Oleshnya (Kursk region) immediately adjacent to the border between Russia and Ukraine,” the Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed on Telegram. “The Kyiv regime’s attempts to launch terrorist attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted.”
The War Zone cannot independently verify that claim and Ukrainian officials have yet to comment.
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Based on available videos, it appears that the cross-border raid involved Ukrainian Humvees as well as wheeled armored personnel carriers, which may be either from the BTR series or possibly U.S.-supplied Strykers.
The Russian MoD and several Russian telegram channels say that Ukraine has conducted an advance into Kursk oblast today, including with elements from Ukraine's 22nd Mechanized Brigade and possibly Strykers from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade.https://t.co/BSvE2lTyQL… pic.twitter.com/ICvjMMOJlU
Russian sources say UA forces have breached border in both Kursk and Belgorod oblasts of Russia (to the northeast of UA). UA tanks and infantry reported on Russian territory, though authorities deny this. Damage in town of #Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, about 9 km from UA, seen in video. pic.twitter.com/hVgDbAd7AB
Earlier today, acting governor of the Kursk region Alexei Smirnov said that Russian border guards and soldiers had thwarted an incursion into Sudzha and Korenevo — two districts in the Kursk region.
The aftermath of the overnight shelling of the Russian Sudzha city, Kursk Oblast
The governor of Kursk Oblast reported that allegedly five people were injured, including three children, and several residential buildings were damaged.
“The situation in the border area remains difficult, but our defenders are successfully working to destroy the enemy,” Smirnov wrote on Telegram.
Smirnov said that shelling killed one woman and wounded several others near the border with the Sumy region. He later also claimed that a Ukrainian drone attacked a minivan, killing the driver.
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Subsequently, Smirnov increased the civilian death toll to three, after another vehicle was hit, and also said that more than a dozen others had been injured.
Though neither top Ukrainian political nor military leaders commented about the incursion, Andrii Kovalenko, the head of an anti-disinformation department at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council hinted that it happened.
“Russian soldiers are lying about the controllability of the situation in the Kursk region,” he said on Telegram. “Russia does not control the border.”
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At least one video shows a pair of Russian Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft operating at very low level in the Kursk region, together with columns of smoke and at least one burning truck on the highway.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the forces entering Russian territory from Ukraine are being provided cover by Ukrainian Armed Forces Buk-M1 (SA-11 Gadfly) mobile surface-to-air missile systems. Further claims suggest that one of these systems was successfully neutralized by Russia, using some kind of cluster weapon.
It appears that Ukraine was using Buk-M1 SAM system to provide cover for its raid into Kursk region, but it was eventually engaged and defeated by a Russian cluster payload (unclear as to what the delivery system was). pic.twitter.com/AkoTuMkI1w
Despite Russian efforts to downplay the significance of the incursion, it seems that a more concerted military response was prepared, with the Russian Ministry of Defense Ministry saying today that it sent reserve troops and additional aviation units into the Kursk region.
There are already reports suggesting that a significant number of Russian troops — including conscripts — were captured in the course of the raid and have been escorted across the border into Ukraine.
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Captured Russian military from the Sudzha area of the Kursk region during today's Ukrainian operations on this direction. At least part of captured Russians are conscripts. Some sources that publish the footage say that 35 Russians were captured by far. https://t.co/DxQeUTLZjNpic.twitter.com/lBfUdiInsD
This was not the first time Russia has had to deal with an attempt to advance across the border. A notable attack was launched into Kursk by Ukrainian-backed armed groups back in March. Other previous incursions took place in Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
Russia typically blames Ukrainian combatants for incursions of this kind, however, multiple reports indicate that previous cross-border raids have also involved paramilitary groups formed by anti-Kremlin Russian nationals.
If Ukraine provides any details about the incursion, we will update our reporting.
Before diving into more developments from the conflict in Ukraine, The War Zone readers can review our previous coverage here.
The Latest
On the battlefield, most of the fighting and positional changes are in Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces there continue their push toward two key cities, Pokrovsk and Toretsk, according to the latest assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
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Kharkiv Oblast: Positional battles continued in northern Kharkiv Oblast on August 5, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline.
Luhansk Oblast: Russian forces continued ground attacks along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on August 5 but did not make any confirmed advances.
Donetsk Oblast: Russian forces have recently made significant tactical advances in the Toretsk direction. “Additional geolocated footage published on August 4 shows that Russian forces have advanced westward across Shkilna Street towards and across Tsentralna Street in western Pivnichne,” east of Toretsk, ISW reported. Russian forces reportedly continue to advance east of Pokrovsk on August 5, “and Russian sources claimed that Russian forces are closer to completing a tactical encirclement of Ukrainian forces near the T-0511 (O-054) road southeast of Pokrovsk,” according to ISW. Russians recently made a marginal advance west of Donetsk City amid continued offensive operations west and southwest of Donetsk City on August 5. They continued limited offensive operations in the Siversk direction on August 5 but did not make any confirmed advances nor did they make any confirmed advances near Chasiv Yar.
Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia border: Russian forces marginally advanced northeast of Robotyne in western Zaporizhia Oblast amid continued ground attacks in the area on August 5.
Kherson Oblast: Russian forces continued ground assaults on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River on August 4 and 5, including on the islands in the Dnipro River Delta, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline.
Russian forces have recently made significant tactical advances in the Toretsk direction. Geolocated footage published on August 5 shows that Russian forces advanced up to Kosmonavtiv Street in central Druzhba (east of Toretsk). Additional geolocated footage published on August 4… https://t.co/KOC8YulHaUpic.twitter.com/TXRXkst4ax
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 6, 2024
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In the video below, produced by NATO, Ukrainian pilots talk about what it was like to be trained by the Danes to fly F-16 Vipers.
“It is really a super fun jet to fly,” said one pilot with the callsign Moonfish. “I’m not saying the MiG I flew before is super boring. But the F-16 is definitely more agile.”
The jets are now flying for the Ukrainian Air Force. You can read more about that here.
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F-16s have arrived in Ukraine
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Look back at Danish instructors training Ukrainian pilots, technicians and ground crew how to fly and maintain the fighter jets ↓#StandWithUkrainepic.twitter.com/dQSLoCalLi
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At least four have been damaged, one destroyed and six damaged and abandoned, according to Oryx. Those figures could be higher because they only tabulate losses for which there is visual confirmation.
M1A1 SA Abrams with added explosive reactive armor engaged somewhere along the front line in Ukraine.
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This video shows the Russians watching a drone feed of a burning vehicle.
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More evidence of Russian soldiers using Discord platform to organize combat management. pic.twitter.com/WxO4c33Cmn
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Russian soldiers nailing personal phones of military personnel.
Soldiers caught using personal smartphones and other internet-capable devices face penalties of up to 15 days of detention. pic.twitter.com/KDfrKtgthN
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Russia has used KN-23 ballistic missiles from North Korea against Ukraine, but about half lost their programmed trajectory and exploded in the air. Maybe because the rudder bearings are from Toyota cars, instead of bearings designed for high temperatures and tremendous strain. pic.twitter.com/GMc9T2pNEZ
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The Ukrainian Air Force just released the first footage of Ukrainian Su-24s launching British-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/9AZOZdtIZO
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The first photos of the Skynex anti-aircraft system supplied by Germany to Ukraine have been released by Operational Command "West." pic.twitter.com/pSlqAKvHRZ
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