Ukrainian forces advance southeast of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast – ISW

Data gathered and analysed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that Ukrainian forces have made further progress in Russia's Kursk Oblast, particularly in areas southeast of the town of Sudzha.

Source: ISW

Quote: "Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance southeast of Sudzha on 16 August amid continued Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast."

Details: ISW notes that Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) claim that Ukrainian forces have advanced east of Mirny and south of Spalnoye, both located southeast of Sudzha. Geolocation imagery released on 15 August suggests Ukrainian forces have recently been active in the village of Borki, also southeast of Sudzha.

They also added that fighting continued north of Sudzha near Russkoye Porechnoye, east of Sudzha near Agronom and southeast of Sudzha along the Giri-Kamyshnoye-Krupets-Spalnoye line.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that Russian forces thwarted a Ukrainian armoured attack towards Gordeevka, south of Korenevo, as well as Ukrainian offensives west of Anastasyevka and southeast of Kauchuk, both situated northeast of Korenevo and about 27 km from the border.

Russian milbloggers also claimed that Russian troops conducted an attack on Ukrainian forces deployed near Otruba, southwest of Korenevo and along the border.

Quote: "Geolocated footage published on 15 and 16 August indicates that Ukrainian forces continue to operate throughout the maximalist claimed limit of Ukrainian advances within Kursk Oblast, including near Sudzha."

Details: Ukrainian officials reported ongoing advances by Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast and suggested that this incursion has increased Russia's willingness to consider a prisoner-of-war exchange.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated on 16 August that Ukrainian forces had advanced one to three kilometres in different areas of Kursk Oblast.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 16 August: 

• Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance southeast of Sudzha on 16 August amid continued Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast.
• Ukrainian strikes reportedly destroyed two bridges in Glushkovo district, Kursk Oblast.
• Ukrainian forces reportedly advanced further into western Belgorod Oblast during recent cross-border assaults than previously reported, but available open-source reporting and evidence indicate that Ukrainian forces no longer maintain positions within Belgorod Oblast as of 16 August.
• Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces continued to advance in Kursk Oblast and suggested that the incursion has forced Russia to more readily consider prisoner-of-war (POW) exchanges.
• The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office (UN OHCHR) requested that Russian authorities allow UN representatives to visit Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts as part of a human rights monitoring mission.
• US officials reiterated that US policy on Ukraine's ability to use US-provided weapons to conduct long-range strikes against Russian military targets has not changed amid the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast.
• The Kremlin reportedly fired former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s advisor on information policy, Andrei Ilnitsky, possibly as part of an ongoing effort to shift control of Russia's wartime information policy from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the Russian Presidential Administration.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.
• Russian milbloggers claimed on 16 August that Russian drone operators are limiting their use of Mavic drones amid claims that Russian commanders are forcing operators to either personally pay to replace drones lost outside of combat or risk being sent to an infantry assault unit as punishment for losing a drone.

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