Russia launches counteroffensive against Ukrainians on its territory

Photo: Russian Defense Ministry via Agence France-Presse This image published by the Russian Defense Ministry allegedly shows a Mi-35m combat helicopter firing missiles in the Kursk region on August 21.

Shaun Tandon – Agence France-Presse in kyiv

Published at 11:07 a.m.

• Europe

The Russian military announced Thursday that it had recaptured 10 towns in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had advanced more than 1,000 square kilometres in early August, a counteroffensive that is taking place as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Poland to discuss ways to help Ukraine.

Mr Blinken arrived in Warsaw after a visit to kyiv, where he promised to “urgently” examine Ukraine's military demands, which include permission to strike deep into Russian territory with Western missiles. The Ukrainian government has been constantly denouncing the slowness of the Americans and Europeans on the subject.

In Moscow, the Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces had “liberated 10 localities in two days” during “offensive operations” in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops had seized around a hundred localities during a surprise attack in early August.

These are the first military successes claimed by the Russian army in this area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed at the same time that a Russian counter-offensive was underway in this border region, while assuring that this response was “in line with the Ukrainian plan,” without providing further details. details.

The front had been largely frozen in the Kursk region since the first Ukrainian advances. kyiv had launched this offensive in particular to try to force the Russian army to turn away from its assault in eastern Ukraine, which has so far been unsuccessful.

Most of the fighting continues to take place in Donbass, where Russian soldiers have the advantage and are getting ever closer to the strategic city of Pokrovsk.

It was in this eastern region that three people were killed on Thursday in a Russian strike on vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. The ICRC confirmed the death of three of its employees, while two others were injured.

The Ukrainian president also said that a Russian missile had hit a cargo ship carrying wheat bound for Egypt in the Black Sea on Thursday evening.

Kiev criticizes “delays”

In Warsaw, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Polish leaders after a night train ride from Ukraine, where he had met with Mr Zelensky and other officials on Wednesday alongside his British counterpart David Lammy.

These trips come at a time when Ukraine is demanding the ability to strike Russia in depth with the long-range Western missiles it has been supplied with.

A sign of its impatience, Mr Zelensky on Thursday criticised the West's “delay” on the issue. These delays have “led to Russia moving these military targets deeper”, he stressed.

But so far, the Americans have not allowed kyiv to fire freely on targets in Russia, for fear of an escalation with Moscow.

“We will adapt if necessary, particularly with regard to the means at Ukraine's disposal to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression,” Mr. Blinken evaded on Thursday in the Polish capital.

The day before in Kiev, he had promised to examine Ukrainian requests “urgently.”

“The victim of an aggression has the right to defend himself,” argued Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

President Joe Biden, who has been wary of taking steps that could trigger a direct conflict between Russia and the nuclear-armed United States, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are scheduled to hold talks on Friday.

Russia, which has been accused of recently receiving ballistic missiles from Iran, has promised an “appropriate” response if it is given the green light to strike deep into its territory.

“We have no doubt that the decision to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to attack Russian territory was taken a long time ago,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

See also

• Is Ukraine Reversing the Tide of the War?
• Chronicle | The Wars of Ukraine
• Loss of territory in Donbass: a strategic withdrawal for Ukraine ?

No water, no gas in Pokrovsk

M. Blinken is also due to discuss in Warsaw Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga’s call on neighboring countries on Wednesday to shoot down Russian missiles and drones when they fly over Ukraine’s western regions.

On the front lines in eastern Ukraine, the situation continues to deteriorate in Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub under threat of an assault by Russian troops, who are less than ten kilometers away.

Running water has been cut off due to the fighting, the city hall of the city, which had a population of about 53,000 before the war, announced on Thursday. Regional governor Vadim Filashkin reported that the gas supply system had been destroyed.

“With each passing day, there are fewer and fewer shops (open) in Pokrovsk and living conditions are becoming more and more difficult,” Filashkin said.

“The situation is difficult and will not improve in the near future,” the city hall added, once again urging residents to evacuate.