Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, killing 41 people and wounding more than 180, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that two ballistic missiles targeted a military training facility and a nearby hospital, calling it one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022.
Amid Russia’s continued missile strikes, Ukraine has made significant progress since advancing into Kursk Oblast in southern Russia on the 6th of last month, but Russia has also seized an additional 477㎢ of Ukrainian territory on the Eastern Front, where it has been dominating, over the past month, according to an analysis. This is more than two-thirds the size of Seoul (605.21㎢), and it is the first time since October 2022 that Russia has advanced this much in a month.
In particular, the Russian army was found to have advanced to an area just 7km away from Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, which is considered a key logistics base for the Ukrainian army. There is analysis that if Pokrovsk is captured or largely destroyed by the Russian army, the Ukrainian army will also suffer a major blow. In addition, Russia is continuing its military demonstrations, such as building a launch site for the Burevestnik nuclear missile, which President Vladimir Putin has described as “invincible,” near Moscow.
● Russia’s advance… Ukraine’s supply hub in crisis
AFP reported on the 2nd, analyzing data from the American think tank Institute of War (ISW), that “Russia advanced 477㎢ of Ukrainian territory in August.” This means that they advanced an average of 15㎢ per day, centered around the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
It is known that the Russian army is aiming to capture Pokrovsk during the recent advance. According to the British Financial Times (FT), Pokrovsk is a strategic logistics center leading to major cities in Donetsk Oblast as well as central Ukraine. It currently serves as a key logistics base for the Ukrainian army. The FT commented, “If Russia captures this place, it could weaken the Ukrainian army’s defenses in the rest of the region.”
As Russian troops advance to within 7km of the outskirts, Pokrovsk residents are fleeing in droves. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the city of 80,000 people is seeing hundreds of people flee each day, with only 30,000 people currently remaining.
Recently, the Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia is increasing. According to AFP, as of the 1st, Russia occupied 66,266㎢, more than 10% of Ukrainian territory (603,550㎢). This is 1,730㎢ more than last year. On the other hand, Ukraine advanced to Kursk Oblast and secured 1,100㎢ in the first two weeks, but has currently secured only 1,150-1,300㎢.
● Russia deploys ‘invincible nuclear missiles’
Citing an analysis by the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), a U.S. think tank, Reuters reported that “a location where Russia is believed to have deployed its nuclear missile Burevestnik has been captured.” According to satellite images, nine horizontal launchers are being built at a nuclear warhead storage facility 475 kilometers north of Moscow.
The Burevestnik is a nuclear weapon that President Putin unveiled in March 2018, calling it an “invincible cruise missile.”
Meanwhile, President Putin, who is visiting Mongolia, met with Mongolian President Okhna Khurelsukh on the 3rd. In March of last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on charges of forcibly relocating Ukrainian children. This is the first time that President Putin has visited an ICC member state since then. Bloomberg News reported, citing sources, that President Putin received assurances that he would not be arrested before visiting Mongolia.
Reporter Lee Ki-wook [email protected]
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2024-09-04 20:28:23