Kursk residents feel abandoned as many flee, some regions out of body bags
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is leaving civilians caught in the middle, and now many are fleeing. The residents said they feel abandoned by Moscow as reported on Thursday, Aug. 22. While many of these Russians blame Kyiv for the recent attack in Kursk, they wonder if their own government truly cares about them and if the Russian military is competent. Interviews also revealed that Ukraine’s surge into Kursk may be turning public sentiment further against Ukraine.
“Attitudes toward Ukraine have significantly worsened,” one Kursk resident told The Moscow Times. “If before there were people who sympathized or held a neutral position, now they’ve sifted to intense anger.”
Kyiv’s infiltration has left at least 31 people dead and 143 others injured. Human rights groups reported that at least 130,000 people have fled the region and 2,000 people are currently missing. Ukraine forces have captured at least 92 settlements in Kursk and have taken hundreds of Russian soldiers’ prisoner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not yet publicly addressing the incursion. However, state-run media outlets claim that more people are enlisting in the military and that the Ukrainian incursion is “uniting” Russians.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s military successes have come at a time when Russian casualties are mounting. So many Russian soldiers have died that some regions are resorting to crowdfunding for body bags as municipal funds run dry. One wife of a Russian soldier killed pleaded for help on social media, saying that the Russian Defense Ministry is not transporting the bodies of troops from battle.
Ukraine declares full control of Russia’s Kursk region in day 10 of offensive
Ukraine declared full control over parts of Russia’s Kursk region on Thursday, Aug. 15, just 10 days into its surprise offensive. The incursion is the deepest breach into Russian territory since the war began in February 2022.
Ukrainian forces announced on Thursday that they have setup a military administrative office to “maintain law and order” and to “meet the immediate needs” of people in the area.
The Ukrainian military also said that it had captured another 100 Russian soldiers. The new soldiers are in addition to the hundreds of Russian soldiers who have already surrendered, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s intelligence agency revealed that the surprise offensive may be larger than previously thought. The agency described fighting in Russia’s Belgorod region as “fierce” and it has been reported that Ukrainian forces have run into tougher obstacles in Belgorod than Kursk. Units reported dealing with so-called dragon’s teeth barriers and trenches dug by Russian forces.
However, Kyiv said that its ultimate goal is not “taking over” Russian territory, rather, it is to pressure Moscow into agreeing to “restore peace.” Reports indicate that Ukraine may use captured Russian soldiers and territory for future prisoner swaps.
Additionally, tanks donated by the United Kingdom were reportedly used during Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory. The U.K. Ministry of Defense did not respond to the specific report but maintained that Ukraine has the right to use U.K. weapons “for self-defense against illegal Russian attacks.”
The Kremlin has already accused the West of being behind the attack on its territory and previously warned Western nations not to give Ukraine tanks.
Ukraine takes war to Russia, capturing dozens of villages
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it now controls around 386 square miles in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, an area roughly the size of Indianapolis. This region includes nearly 30 different towns or settlements and is home to hundreds of thousands of Russians, many of whom are now fleeing.
Previously, Kyiv took the territory after sending troops, tanks, drones and other equipment across the border from Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine.
“Firstly, Russia did not expect this,” Pavel Luzin, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and an expert on Russian affairs, said. Luzin added Moscow is being forced to redistribute its military forces from other parts of the frontline and its reserves to Kursk to stop the Ukrainian advance.
A week after Ukraine’s initial incursion, Russian troops finally launched a coordinated strike using artillery and missiles on Ukrainian forces in Kursk. The fight to control the territory is ongoing.
“That means that the Russian authoritarian regime is not so strong,” Luzin said. “And the war, the ongoing war, is probably the only thing which still consolidates this regime.”
According to Luzin, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia reveals several weaknesses. He pointed out Russia’s institutions of political power are highly dysfunctional. Under the Putin regime, Luzin said no one acts without orders from above.
“They are afraid,” Luzin said. “And this is a result of a quarter-century of the new Russian authoritarianism. The current situation is very different from the Soviet times. [In] the Soviet military mayors, colonels, generals [knew their] places, their positions. Whether or not it was Afghanistan, Angola, Vietnam or many other places in this world where the Soviet military were active, even if they denied this activity, doesn’t matter. These people [knew they] must act by themselves. They must be smart enough, clever enough and so on.”
In addition to the dysfunction within Russia’s ranks, Luzin pointed out the incursion highlights Moscow’s inaccurate method of gathering battlefield information.
“These people from the bottom level to up, they provide the information about the reality, but they try to provide the information which will not lead to punishment against them,” Luzin said, accusing Russia’s soldiers on the frontlines of painting a rosier picture for their commanding officers than what might actually exist.
Lastly, Luzin said Ukraine’s incursion exposes Russia’s hollow threats about using nuclear weapons.
“They mentioned nuclear weapons hundreds of times during the last 10 years,” Luzin said. “Hundreds of times. Now they are silent. So when reality comes, the Russian doctrine does not work. And that means if Russia will continue to pose a threat to NATO, to the Baltic states, the Baltic members of NATO and so on, that means NATO army can act against Russia on the Russian territory.”
Some NATO nations previously indicated they may send troops to Ukraine in a training capacity. As of publish time, there are no further plans by any NATO nation to attack Russia on Russian territory.
In Kursk, the reasoning behind the invasion remains unclear. The motive for the attack remains unclear. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the country doesn’t plan to hold the territory its forces captured. Kyiv did not inform Washington or its European allies about the attack beforehand.
“There can be no sustainable peace with Russia,” Elena Davlikanova, a fellow at CEPA, said. “Undemocratic Russia will always be a threat to the Western alliance, and we should expect either a hot war or a cold war.”
Straight Arrow News spoke to Davlikanova before Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk. She talked about the long-term security agreements Ukraine was signing with around 20 nations. At the time, she said Ukraine viewed the agreements as a step in the right direction, but not as effective as NATO membership.
“Since 2022, our Western allies have been very creative in looking for ways to ensure Ukraine’s security, and at the same time not offering NATO membership,” Davlikanova said. “So, we don’t feel safe. We don’t feel relieved.”
“Even these bilateral agreements — in the title of the agreements, it doesn’t say ‘security guarantees,’” Davlikanova continued. “It says these are agreements on cooperation in security and long-term support for Ukraine.”
If Ukraine did not feel safe even with some signed security cooperation agreements in place, perhaps that is why it chose to attack Kursk, potentially securing a few more bargaining chips ahead of possible peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that was the reasoning behind Ukraine’s bold move. Whether it will be enough to turn the tide of the war remains to be seen.
Regardless of how things play out on the battlefield, Davlikanova believes the only way to truly topple the Russian regime is to gut its economy.
“Even though their economy is suffering, it doesn’t suffer as much as it should suffer,” Davlikanova said. “And there are thousands of Western companies that continue working in Russia, and they continue creating all these different economic processes, supporting the Russian economy indirectly. So I think that the answer to sustainable peace is Russia’s economic decline, and if we do everything to achieve that, then we will be able to more or less coexist in a peaceful format. Just like we did back in the 1990s.”
Ukraine troops enter Russia, taking territory and prisoners
What was first thought to be a small cross-border raid by Ukraine into Russia is now the deepest incursion into enemy territory made by either side since the war began. Kyiv is being pretty tight-lipped about the operation, but Russian military bloggers are not. As is usually the case, much of the information coming from the front lines can’t be independently verified, but here’s how the picture is shaping up.
The operation started in the early morning hours of Aug. 6 when Ukraine sent hundreds of troops across the border from Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Using combined tactics of artillery fire, electronic warfare and coordinated drone swarms, Ukrainian troops were able to push at least 5 miles into Russian territory, possibly even up to 9 miles in some locations.
Video released by Ukraine’s armed forces shows dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian troops. One Russian posted a video of himself driving around the abandoned town of Sudzha while his vehicle was under constant small arms fire.
Russia said Ukrainian shelling in the region has killed two people so far and injured 24, including a Kremlin-connected war correspondent whose vehicle was struck by a Ukrainian FPV drone.
After a visibly upset Vladimir Putin received an update from his defense cabinet on the situation in Kursk, the Russian leader called Ukraine’s actions a “large-scale provocation.”
Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, said the Kremlin should think about taking all of Ukraine as retribution for the attack.
Ukrainian leadership, meanwhile, is slow to acknowledge the incursion publicly. An aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian aggression is the sole root of any escalation. President Zelenskyy praised all of Ukraine’s fighters and said Ukraine’s armed forces still know how to “surprise” the enemy.
As for what the goal of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia could be, it’s still a little murky. Some military analysts said Ukraine is risking an awful lot and gaining very little, other than a morale boost for its beleaguered troops.
There is a nuclear power plant in the region, and Ukrainian troop movements are trending in that direction, so they could try and take that facility and use it as a bargaining chip. Or it could be a distraction meant to draw Russian troops in from other areas of the frontlines, like in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow is coming very close to making what could be considered tactical gains.
While there have been small raids into Russian territory since the war started, those were conducted by Russian nationals fighting on the side of the Ukrainians. This current excursion is being carried out by seasoned Ukrainian soldiers using mechanized brigades and combined tactics. It marks the first time since World War II that Russian territory was invaded by another nation.
Bucha’s ‘Witches’: Ukraine’s all-female drone defense unit
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. The town of Bucha, just outside Kyiv, bore witness to the brutality of Russia’s initial occupation as the bodies of more than 450 men, women and children were found. The occupation highlighted Russia’s severe tactics in the region.
One notable initiative is the formation of an all-female air defense unit, known as the “Witches of Bucha.” Comprised of women who lost family members during the occupation, they are training to shoot down drones with machine guns.
This first all-female anti-aircraft unit, which targets enemy drones such as the Shahed, uses the century-old Maxim M1910 machine gun, repurposing a classic weapon for modern warfare. Their training includes using a network of microphones to detect drones, followed by the deployment of mobile intervention groups to intercept the aerial threats.
Reuters
The unit is part of a Ukrainian military volunteer formation and, while not an official military service, receives support from local authorities.
Women’s participation in Ukraine’s military has surged since the conflict escalated. In 2023, the Ministry of Defense reported nearly 43,000 women in service, a 40% increase from the previous year. Currently, about 65,000 women serve, with around 4,000 in combat roles, highlighting their growing contributions to national defense.
Some NATO members turn to WWII tech as fears of Russian invasion grow
Latvia, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member, has started installing “dragon’s teeth,” which are anti-tank concrete pyramids, along its border with Russia. This is part of an effort to defend the country as tensions rise with Moscow over the war in Ukraine. A video circulating social media on Wednesday, July 24, appears to show the barriers being installed.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, shared the footage on X.
“Latvia has started installing defensive barriers on its border with Russia,” he wrote. “The so-called ‘dragon’s teeth’ were spotted near the easternmost Latvian town of Zilup.”
Dragon’s teeth were first used in WWII as a defense against approaching tanks. Latvia’s ongoing efforts to put the concrete pyramids along the border is part of a plan Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia agreed to earlier this year: to build a common defense line with “anti-mobility infrastructure elements.”
With the effort to bulk up NATO’s eastern border with Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus now underway, Latvia’s Ministry of Defense said that it will help with NATO’s “collective defense.”
Tensions between the Kremlin and NATO were not particularly friendly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the relationship is only getting worse. Moscow said NATO nations are directly involved in the war in Ukraine because the organization provides military aid and weapons to Kyiv. Russia has previously said it may strike NATO members who are helping Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Poland’s defense minister also expressed concerns that Moscow could attack within his country’s borders. However, he still maintained confidence in NATO’s defense capabilities.
Latvia’s move to use decades-old technology to defend its border is not unheard of, with Ukraine’s use of 50-year-old propeller-driven planes to take out Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Kyiv also equipped advanced drones with medieval-style caltrops to disable Russian vehicles and to disrupt supply efforts.
On Monday, July 22, Kyiv reported that Russia has sustained more than 568,000 casualties in the nearly two-and-a-half years since its invasion of Ukraine began.
Additionally, the ministry said many soldiers on the front lines, whether convicts or volunteers, receive very little training. The Kremlin is known for being tight-lipped about wartime casualties and hasn’t released any updates since September 2022. At that time, the former Russian defense minister reported just under 6,000 troops were killed — a figure widely contradicted by open-source intelligence.
Meanwhile, Russia is significantly ramping up spending on cemetery expansions since the invasion of Ukraine began. An independent Russian publication reports that last year alone, over $2.5 million was spent on these projects — twice as much as the year before and nearly six times the spending in 2020. By June of 2024, expenditures already hit $1.5 million.
Biden speaks at NATO summit, Trump holds rally in Florida
Candidates look to send a message as President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the NATO summit and former President Donald Trump spoke at a Florida rally. And the U.S.-built pier meant to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza looks to be in its final days. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Biden speaks at NATO summit, Trump holds rally in Florida
With the Republican National Convention days away, the Democratic National Convention in a few weeks, and Election Day fast approaching, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump delivered speeches on Tuesday, July 9. And while their speeches took place in very different settings, each was hoping their message would help make the case they are the better option.
Biden spoke in Washington as the three-day NATO summit kicked off, saying the alliance is stronger than it’s ever been in history.
With the focus of the summit being the NATO nations’ continued support for Ukraine, Biden spoke of the country’s resilience in its fight against Russia.
“In Europe, Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues and Putin wants nothing less nothing less than Ukraine’s total subjugation, to end Ukraine’s democracy, destroy Ukraine’s culture and to wipe Ukraine off the map,” the president said. “And we know Putin won’t stop at Ukraine, but make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin.”
Biden and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania announced the delivery of new air defense systems for Ukraine. This comes just days after a deadly attack by Russia on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
On Tuesday night, Biden held a video call with nearly 200 Democratic mayors as he reiterated that he will remain in the race despite having a “lousy night” on the debate stage and amid growing calls for him to step aside.
Meanwhile, former President Trump was back on the campaign trail, holding a rally in Florida. He commented on the speculation surrounding Biden’s candidacy since debate night.
“Our victory was so absolute that Joe’s own party now wants him to throw in the towel and surrender the presidency after a single 90-minute performance,” Trump told supporters. “They want ‘crooked Joe’ out of the race. It’s a shame the way they’re treating him. But don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a very bad guy.”
And with Trump still needing to pick his vice president, one of the potential choices for a running mate — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — was in attendance. Trump made mention of Rubio’s presence, teasing that reporters probably expected him to make his VP announcement then and there.
In his speech, Trump said he would give Biden a chance to redeem himself — challenging the president to another debate this week, as well as a golf match, referencing an argument between the two during the first debate.
In response, a Biden campaign spokesperson said Biden doesn’t have time for “Donald Trump’s weird antics.”
U.S. Navy sailor disciplined for trying to access Biden’s medical records
As concerns over President Biden’s health remain a topic of discussion since last month’s presidential debate, word has come down of a Navy sailor who’s been disciplined for trying to access the president’s medical records on multiple occasions. The incidents occurred in late February but were disclosed on Tuesday, July 9.
The Navy said the junior sailor assigned to a medical unit in Virginia searched the military’s health care system for the name “Joe Biden” three times but did not end up pulling any details on the president. A co-worker reported the breach, and the Navy launched an investigation.
The sailor admitted he looked up the president’s name “out of curiosity.” The sailor received administrative discipline and remains in the Navy.
$230M pier created to bring aid to Gaza to be shut down for good
The pier, which has already been moved and fixed repeatedly due to bad weather and rough seas, is set to be put back in place on the coast just west of Gaza city Wednesday, July 10. It had been closed off again on June 28 because of bad weather; its third shutdown since it opened in mid-May.
BREAKING: US-built pier will be put back in Gaza for several days to move aid, then permanently removed https://t.co/VKsFqy7ZtM
U.S. military officials say the $230 million pier is being put back in place to deliver any remaining aid in Cyprus and on the floating dock several miles offshore, then it’ll be permanently removed as soon as next week.
The original plan called for it to remain operational through at least the end of the month.
Russian court issues arrest warrant for late opposition leader’s widow
The court said she would be arrested if she were to ever return to Russia. This comes as part of a Kremlin crackdown on opposition.
Ой, а что не будет обычной процедуры? Иностранный агент, потом заведение уголовного дела, потом уже арест?! Когда будете писать об этом, не забудьте, пожалуйста, написать главное: Владимир Путин – убийца и военный преступник. Его место в тюрьме, и не где-нибудь в Гааге, в уютной…
The charges are widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critic. He died in February in an arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges.
After her husband’s death, Navalnaya vowed to take up his work and has been lobbying against Putin’s government from abroad.
Opening arguments to begin in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial
Opening arguments are set to begin Wednesday, July 10, in actor Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico. Baldwin is charged in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”
He has pleaded not guilty, claiming the gun fired accidentally. Prosecutors will look to prove that Baldwin failed to follow industry standards for firearms safety.
#BREAKING: The jury has been chosen in the #AlecBaldwin Manslaughter Trial in New Mexico.
Opening statements are set to begin tomorrow LIVE on #CourtTV.
Twelve jurors and four alternates were chosen at Tuesday’s hearing; 11 women and 5 men. If they find Baldwin guilty, he faces up to 18 months in prison.
The trial is expected to conclude by July 19.
Europe rejoins space race with launch of Ariane 6
Europe is back in space. Running years behind schedule, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket blasted off on its maiden flight Tuesday, July 9, from the European Space Agency‘s launch site in French Guiana.
The flight deployed three sets of micro-satellites for research purposes, prompting European space officials to declare the trip a success.
However, the mission didn’t go entirely as planned. The final batch of payloads — two small capsules designed to test the conditions for surviving re-entry — was not launched after a smaller power unit shut itself down for unknown reasons.
Despite the setback, the European Space Agency said it is on track for another mission by the end of the year.
Russian missile attack kills dozens, damages children’s hospital in Kyiv
A Russian, daylight missile attack across five cities in Ukraine killed at least 36 civilians and severely damaged Kyiv’s main children’s hospital. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 30 of 38 missiles.
A Kh-101 cruise missile directly hit the children’s hospital in Kyiv, leading to urgent evacuations. The attacks also damaged 50 civilian structures, including residential buildings, business centers, and two medical facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces targeted Ukrainian military facilities and air bases, blaming any civilian infrastructure damage on Ukrainian air defenses. The claim was met with skepticism.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised strong retaliatory measures and called for a robust international response.
The attack occurred just as NATO prepares for a summit in Washington to discuss increased support for Ukraine, including a proposed $40 billion in annual military aid.
The summit starts on July 9 and runs through July 11. It aims to focus on reinforcing Ukraine’s defenses and ensuring the nation’s resilience in the face of ongoing military threats.
Russian propagandists targeting 2024 Paris Olympics to undermine Games
As punishment for Russia’s war in Ukraine, Russian athletes cannot compete under their country’s flag in the summer Olympics in Paris. Now, Russian propagandists are reportedly looking for retribution by stoking fears to undermine the upcoming 2024 Paris games in July, according to an analysis by Microsoft and the United States government released on Sunday, June 2.
The propagandists reportedly created false warnings from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and French intelligence authorities. Additionally, the groups created false reports from the BBC and Al Jazeera on terror threats.
Microsoft and U.S. government believe a group known as Storm-1679 is behind the misinformation campaign. Storm-1679’s disinformation campaign is working to scare people out of attending the Games. However, researchers are unsure if the group is backed by the Russian government or act independently.
The disinformation campaign also attacked French President Emmanuel Macron and the Paris Olympics after Macron publicly considered sending French troops to Ukrainian soil. Previously, Storm-1679 focused on videos disparaging Ukrainian refugees.
Analysts said that Storm-1679 seems to thrive on attention from fact-checking organizations. The group predominantly posts its content on Telegram. However, researchers said that when content is fact-checked with large followings it gets far more views and reaches a broader audience.
This is not the first time the Olympics faced interference from Russian groups. In 2018, during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, Russian hackers reportedly caused an internet outage. French authorities are aware of that incident and maintain they are looking to prevent any similar sabotage attempts in 2024.
