Following Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk province, Moscow has stepped up its assaults on key energy targets across Ukraine.
Russia launched 38 attack drones and two missiles at eight Ukrainian regions overnight on August 12 and has advanced on the Pokrovsk front on Ukraine’s East.
Ukrainian regional authorities in the Sumy region reported that the Russian assault there had injured one person and damaged a power line and a gas pipeline, leaving some residents of the city of Sumy without energy
A hospital building and several cars in the region were also damaged, the authorities said.
In response, Ukraine authorities temporarily restricted civilian movements in parts of Sumy bordering Russia.
In Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said civilian infrastructure had been targeted but there were no reported casualties.
National grid operator Ukrenergo said energy infrastructure had been attacked, but power had been restored to industrial and household consumers in some areas.
According to the Ukrainian military’s General Staff, 52 skirmishes took place between Rusian and Ukrainian forces on the Pokrovsk front over August 12, a significant increase from the 28 to 42 daily conflicts reported over the previous seven days.
Prior to launching its surprise attack on Russia, Ukraine had been losing territory, with Russia reportedly controlling 18 per cent of Ukraine’s land.
Ukrainian soldiers crossed the Russian border around August 11, about 530km southwest of Moscow, and are also now launching their own drone strikes in the hopes of capturing more territory.
“Russia brought war to others, and now it is coming home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said regarding his country’s attack.
Today, I held a meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Senate, including Senators Graham and Blumenthal—representatives of both parties. I expressed my gratitude to America for its support in our defense. It is crucial that both Ukrainians and Americans emerge truly victorious… pic.twitter.com/FaeMdeLrJL
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 12, 2024
According to Zelensky, the operation in Kursk was a matter of Ukrainian security and the region had been used by Russia to launch many strikes against Ukraine.
“Russia must be forced to make peace if Putin wants to fight so badly,” Zelensky said.
In Kursk, 121,000 people have already left or have been evacuated by Russian authorities. Another 59,000 were in the process of being evacuated, local officials said.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Kursk, 11,000 civilians were also evacuated, the region’s governor said.
Peter Stano, the European Commission’s lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security, has confirmed the EU's support for Ukraine’s strikes within Russia. https://t.co/dbaD10ZSbq
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 9, 2024
