Tuesday, August 20

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian soldier drives to the destroyed Ukrainian checkpoint on the border on Aug. 16, 2024 in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. (Taras Ibragimov/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Ukraine in control of 92 settlements in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Zelensky claims. Ukrainian forces are in control of 92 settlements and more than 1,250 square kilometers of Kursk Oblast in Russia as the incursion into the region continues, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19.

Russia claims Ukraine hits 3rd bridge in Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian forces damaged the third bridge over the Seim River in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, an official of the Russian Investigative Committee claimed in a video published on Aug. 19.

Chechen commander says Russian conscripts must fight in Kursk Oblast, promises ‘heaven’ for killed. “No one will die who is not destined to die. But if you die defending your homeland, your faith in God, you will go to heaven,” said Apti Alaudinov, the commander of the Chechen Akhmat Regiment fighting for Russia. Alaudinov himself isn’t fighting on the front.

Kyiv didn’t disclose preparations for Kursk operation because of West’s fear of Russian ‘red lines,’ Zelensky says. “That is why, actually, no one knew about our preparations,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19.

Pokrovsk residents have 2 weeks to evacuate as Russian forces advance, authorities say. An average of 500-600 people leave the city every day, and 60% of the residents leave the city using their transport, according to city administration head Serhii Dobriak.

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Syrskyi considered several scenarios for Russia incursion, Economist reports.

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was considering an attack against Russia’s Bryansk Oblast as an alternative to the Kursk incursion, The Economist reported on Aug. 18, citing military sources.

Kherson Oblast nature reserve damaged but not fully destroyed by Russia, director clarifies. The Nature Reserve Askania-Nova in Kherson Oblast suffered heavily under Russian occupation but has not been fully destroyed as of now, the reserve’s director, Viktor Shapoval, said in a comment for Suspilne on Aug. 19

SBU uncovers Russian intelligence network involving Ukrainian law enforcement officer. The intelligence network operated in Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. The suspects surveilled the Ukrainian Armed Forces and critical infrastructure facilities.

Nearly 1 million people temporarily exempted from military service, Defense Ministry says. About 930,000 Ukrainians liable for military service are temporarily exempted from military service, while their number may reach one million in a week, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine captures 92 settlements in Kursk Oblast

Ukrainian forces are in control of 92 settlements and more than 1,250 square kilometers of Kursk Oblast in Russia as the incursion into the region continues, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine’s ‘buffer zone’ in Kursk Oblast – here’s what you need to know

In a military sense, a buffer zone is traditionally an area of land established between two opposing forces with the aim of reducing the chances of armed confrontation.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Sumy Oblast injures 4. Russian forces attacked 11 communities in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 19, injuring four civilians, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration. In total, 256 explosions were recorded in 69 separate attacks on the region.

Russian attacks on Toretsk, Zarichne in Donetsk Oblast kill 4. Russia targeted Toretsk, a front-line city suffering regular attacks, with artillery, killing a 71-year-old woman in the yard of her house.

Finnish ex-politician killed fighting as volunteer in Ukraine. Ville Mykkanen is the fifth known Finnish volunteer fighter to have been killed fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: The hidden toll of Ukraine’s aid workers demands recognition on World Humanitarian Day

“Russia’s war in Ukraine is far from over, and the challenges ahead are immense. Yet our front-line workers persevere despite the hardships. Our responsibility is to ensure they have the protections, resources, and support needed to continue this essential work,” writes

Massimo Diana, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Ukraine.

Photo: Ignacio Marin/Anadolu via Getty Images

International response

US support to Ukraine ongoing amid Kursk Oblast incursion, Pentagon says. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov have “discussed ongoing support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine’s urgent military requirements,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Aug. 19.

Germany delivers IRIS-T SLS air defense system, other aid to Ukraine. This is the third IRIS-T SLS battery Germany has delivered to Ukraine. The SLS is a short-range variant with an operational range of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).

Denmark announces $115 million military aid package, says supplied equipment can be used in Kursk Oblast. The package is aimed at meeting both Ukraine’s short-term and long-term defense needs. The funds will be used to purchase new military equipment from the Ukrainian defense industry and the country’s international partners.

London says UK support for Ukraine ‘unwavering,’ after Zelensky alleged it slowed. The statement came after President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested in his Aug. 17 evening address that the U.K.’s “real leadership” on weapons and politics had “slowed down” amid London’s hesitation to allow the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles against targets on Russian soil.

Spiegel: Shares of German arms companies fall amid debate over aid to Ukraine. Shares of German arms maker Rheinmetall, which have risen 28% over the past two weeks, fell 5% on Aug. 19 as soon as the markets opened, although by midday, the decline had been reduced to nearly 3%, according to Spiegel.

Ukraine may join NATO despite being partially occupied by Russia, Czech president says. “I don’t think that the full regaining of control over the entire territory is a necessary condition (for joining NATO),” Czech President Petr Pavel said.

In other news

Kyiv confirms Modi’s upcoming visit to Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will take place on Aug. 23, Ukraine’s Presidential Office said. The visit, which was first announced by Indian media in July, will be the first Indian prime minister’s trip to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations between the two nations.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Daria Svitlyk, Oleksiy Sorokin, Kateryna Denisova, Abbey Fenbert, and Olena Goncharova.

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