Ukraine, Russia Blow Up 2 Key Bridges, ‘Cut Off Supply Routes’… Russia Assess Failure to Repel Ukrainian Forces

A video capture released by the Ukrainian military on the 18th (local time) shows smoke rising from a destroyed bridge in the Kursk region of Russia. The Ukrainian military claimed via Telegram that “an additional bridge has been removed in Kursk.” 2024.08.19.

[쿠르스크=AP/뉴시스]

Ukraine, advancing in Kursk Oblast in southwestern Russia, is trying to strengthen its position on the mainland by blowing up two major bridges in Russia. Analysis suggests that the Russian military is having difficulty gathering troops and is failing to repel the Ukrainian army. Belarus, Russia’s ally, has joined Russia’s defense, saying that it has deployed one-third of its troops to the Ukrainian border.

The British daily Financial Times (FT) reported on the 18th (local time) that Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk released two videos showing the destruction of two bridges on the Seim River near Glushkovo and Zvanno in Kursk Oblast by airstrikes. Military experts analyzed that this would disrupt the movement of Russian military supplies and strengthen Ukraine’s position.

“The Air Force continues to deprive the enemy of its logistics capabilities with precise air strikes, which significantly affects the course of hostilities,” Commander Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram on the 17th. He added that the strikes also targeted weapons depots, logistics hubs, and Russian supply lines. The post included video of a bridge being blown up, but it was not disclosed when the video was filmed.

According to the FT, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on the 18th that they were fighting Ukrainian forces in four villages about 40km northwest of Suja in the Turksk region and in the Cherkasskoye Porechinoe area about 15km north of Suja. The Ukrainian side has not been reporting on this operation in real time, asking the media to keep quiet. It seems to be a strategy to covertly increase the area of ​​penetration into mainland Russia.

Russia is conducting additional airstrikes against Ukraine. The Ukrainian military announced on the 18th that it had repelled Russian drone and missile attacks in the capital Kiev and the Sumy region of the Rsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would respond appropriately to Ukraine’s bold operation, but the FT interpreted that the Ukrainian military failed to repel it. There is analysis that this is due to divisions in the Russian military leadership. A senior Ukrainian security official told the FT that “the Russian National Guard, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and the Ministry of Defense are competing with each other but not cooperating.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russia’s biggest ally, has come to Russia’s defense, warning that airstrikes in Ukraine could lead Russia to use nuclear weapons. In an interview with Russian state TV that day, he also said that “almost a third of the Belarusian army has been deployed to the Ukrainian border.”

Meanwhile, President Putin, who was caught off guard by the surrender of his homeland to the Ukrainian army in Kursk Oblast, began a state visit to Azerbaijan on the same day, the Russian state-run TASS news agency reported. The Kremlin said the two leaders would exchange views on relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, emphasizing that “Russia is ready to continue to provide all possible support for the normalization of relations.” Attention is being paid to whether Russia, which is on the defensive, will seek cooperation by drawing close attention to its neighbors.

Paris = Correspondent Jo Eun-ah [email protected]

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2024-08-19 10:45:36