Ukraine wants “persuade” Russia to start negotiations “fair”the Ukrainian presidency said on Friday, August 16, justifying the unprecedented advance of kyiv’s troops in the Russian region of Kursk since August 6. “The military tool is used objectively to persuade Russia to enter into a fair negotiation process”said Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the social network X. Follow our live stream.
Seven civilians injured in Ukrainian strike in Donetsk. At least seven civilians were injured in a Ukrainian strike on a shopping mall in Donetsk, a major city in eastern Ukraine under Russian control, the head of the pro-Russian administration in the region, Denis Pushilin, lamented on Telegram. The mall “Galaxy” East “in the grip of a fire” and a nearby hospital was “damaged”the official said.
kyiv claims new advances in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrsky spoke of an advance of 35 km in depth for a total control of 1,150 km2 and 82 localities since the beginning of the incursion of kyiv’s forces on August 6. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian troops had completely “released” Soudja, a Russian town of 5,500 inhabitants located about ten kilometers from the border.
“Tense” situation in the Belgorod region. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov announced the allocation on Thursday. “additional resources” in this region, neighboring that of Kursk, where the situation is “extremely tense”according to its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.