President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has again pushed for permission from Ukraine's allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
"Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities," Zelenskiy said in a speech to Ukrainian ambassadors on August 19.
The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.
Zelenskiy also told the diplomats that Ukrainian forces have taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia and now control more than 1,250 square kilometers of enemy territory in the nearly two weeks since the start of the surprise cross-border incursion.
"Ukrainian soldiers continue the defensive operation in certain areas of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation," he said. "We are continuing to strengthen our positions, stabilize certain areas, and replenish the exchange fund," Zelenskiy said in an apparent reference to Russian troops taken prisoner by Ukraine.
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Ukraine Blasts Bridges In Kursk, Claims More Prisoners Taken
The operation is "our biggest investment in the process of freeing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. "This is one of our goals," he said.
Zelenskiy said earlier on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were fulfilling their objectives while pressing their incursion into Kursk, while Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge over the River Seym critical to Russian troop movements in the region.
A video statement from a representative of Russia's Investigative Committee was posted on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov. In the video, the investigator said Ukrainian forces had struck the bridge a day earlier.
On August 18, Ukraine’s Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk said his troops had damaged a second strategic bridge over the Seym, limiting Russia’s supply capacity as it tries to prevent Ukraine from bolstering its positions.
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Russian military bloggers previously posted an image of the first bridge that was hit near the village of Zvannoye in Kursk.
According to Russian security officials, the destruction of that bridge cut off part of the Glushkov district.
Analysts say taking out bridges over the Seym is crucial for Ukraine to ensure a secure flank to its offensive in Kursk by making it difficult for Moscow to supply its troops south of the river.
"If the Ukrainians can make it impossible for the Russians to supply troops south of the Seym, they will at a minimum provide a secure flank to their offensive," said Philips P. O'Brien, a professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "The Russian military is ponderous and needs heavy logistical supply to undertake operations. Without bridges, its hard to see the Russians supplying the needed forces to keep that area effectively militarized," O'Brien wrote in a blog post on August 18.
Ukraine launched its surprise counteroffensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, altering the dynamics of the 2 1/2-year war and causing 120,000 people to flee.
Zelenskiy on August 18 said Ukraine's main task is "to destroy as much Russian potential as possible and conduct maximum counterattack work," with the aim of creating a "buffer zone."
Meanwhile, intense fighting continued in the eastern region of Donetsk, Zelenskiy said, as Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have captured the village of Zalizne.
"Heavy fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction, and the defense of Toretsk," Zelenskiy said in his message on Telegram, while regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said, "We are starting the forced evacuation of families with children from the Pokrovsk community."
Earlier on August 19, Russian shelling in Donetsk killed three and injured nine people, according to Filashkin. He also said casualties were reported in Myrnograd, Toretsk, and Rozliva.
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Ukrainian Forces Near Donetsk Hope For Tide To Turn After Kursk Incursion
Governor Vasily Golubev of Russia's Rostov region that borders Ukraine said on August 19 that a state of emergency was introduced in the town of Proletarsk. The day before, 18 firefighters were injured while trying to extinguish a massive fire caused by drone attacks.
Golubev also said four firefighters are in serious condition, adding that despite all efforts to extinguish the fire, the situation remains "the same."
Local authorities said on August 18 that Ukrainian forces staged two drone strikes at the oil depot.
Kyiv said the attacks were organized by the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service.
Russia also launched 11 Shahed-type drones toward Donetsk and several other regions, including Kyiv, but the Ukrainian Air Force said they had all been intercepted.