Zelenskyy on Kursk Oblast: more Russian soldiers captured on early 19 August

Iryna Balachuk — Monday, 19 August 2024, 13:19

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Ukrainian President's Office

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine continues to make strides in Russia's Rostov Oblast, with Ukrainian forces capturing more Russian troops on the morning of 19 August.

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram, following a report from Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote from Zelenskyy: "The commander-in-chief also reported new details of the operation in Kursk Oblast. We are achieving our goals. This morning, the prisoner-of-war exchange pool has been replenished for our nation."

Details: Furthermore, Syrskyi reported on the battlefield situation, in particular, on heavy fighting on the Pokrovsk front and the defence of Toretsk.

"I am grateful for every achievement in crushing the invaders. We are working to ensure the supply of weapons and secure the necessary decisive actions from our partners for our [operations] on the front," Zelenskyy stressed.

Additionally, the president mentioned that he and Syrskyi had discussed "certain aspects of our missile programme."

Background:

The operation in Kursk Oblast commenced on 6 August. On 10 August, on the fifth day of the Ukrainian offensive into Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine had pushed the war onto the aggressor's soil.
On 13 August, Syrskyi informed Zelenskyy that Ukrainian soldiers were in control of 74 settlements in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
On the afternoon of 15 August, Syrskyi stated that since the beginning of the day, Ukrainian troops had advanced up to one and a half kilometres in some areas of Kursk Oblast and were already in control of 82 Russian settlements.
On 15 August, Ukrainska Pravda sources in Ukraine's Security Service reported that Ukrainian special forces had captured 102 Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine's Air Assault Forces shared footage of the first hours of the operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast. The video showed mine clearance, the breaching of the border, the destruction of Russian defence lines, air and artillery operations and the capturing of prisoners of war.
Later, the 80th Air Assault Brigade of Ukraine’s Armed Forces shared footage from the early hours of the military operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian troops breached the defence line, destroyed a border checkpoint and captured over 50 Russian soldiers.