19 August 2024. Today there are a lot of updates from the Kursk direction.
The most interesting news comes from the area of Korenevo.
The Ukrainians successfully advanced around the town, achieving an operational encirclement and capturing hundreds of Russian soldiers in the process. The situation with the prisoners became so critical that Russian officials requested negotiations for an exchange, aiming to recover over 2,000 newly captured Russian soldiers, most of whom were conscripts.
Ukrainian forces reached Korenevo several days ago, where the Russian command has concentrated most of their combat-ready troops in the region. Russian fighters predominantly concentrate in larger regional towns to defend against major Ukrainian assaults. However, due to their focus on protecting these larger cities, many villages and open areas remain unprotected, with most forces assigned to defend just Korenevo. This has allowed Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, along with larger mobile mechanized units, to advance through smaller villages surrounding Korenevo, effectively bypassing the Russian stronghold. In this way, the Ukrainians significantly expanded their advance toward Korenevo, capturing the villages of Olgovka, Matvyevka, and Zhuravli to the north of the town. Additionally, Ukrainian forces seized control of Krasnooktyabrske and Komarovka to the south.
This expansion of Ukrainian-controlled territory on the flanks of Korenevo could lead to the encirclement of the Russian garrison, potentially forcing them into a withdrawal or mass surrender, as Russian defenses outside the town are minimal.
To disrupt Russian logistics and capture as many Russian soldiers as possible, elite fighters from the Ukrainian 82nd Assault Brigade and Special Forces Operators ambush Russian convoys on key supply routes. Combat footage released by the 82nd Assault Brigade shows a small Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group ambushing and destroying a convoy of three Russian supply trucks, armed only with small arms.
Ukrainian paratroopers ambushing Russian military vehiclespic.twitter.com/MHzTCY6hvY
— English Luhansk (@loogunda) August 17, 2024
The group also managed to capture several Russian soldiers who were part of the convoy. Following the ambush, part of the Ukrainian unit withdrew to a nearby forest to change positions and prepare for a new ambush, while the main force remained to recover the wounded Russians and secure captured equipment. The original, uncensored combat footage of all Ukrainian ambushes and prisoner captures can be found on Reporting From Ukraine’s Telegram channel.
Before the Kursk incursion, the largest recent surrender of Russian troops occurred when 102 soldiers were captured by the Special Forces of the Security Service of Ukraine. Ukrainian Special Forces Operators uncovered a hidden underground bunker stocked with large quantities of ammunition and supplies, guarded by over a hundred Russian troops. Caught completely off guard and unprepared for battle, the Russian garrison decided to surrender. Among the captured prisoners were members of the more professional Chechen Akhmat fighters.
And some more pic.twitter.com/DHkOmUXBMd
— English Luhansk (@loogunda) August 17, 2024
It’s likely that the Security Service of Ukraine, a highly capable intelligence agency, leveraged its extensive network of agents and informants to locate and infiltrate the bunker, leading to one of the largest single surrenders of Russian forces in the entire war.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1822730398943625596/
To date, Ukrainian forces have captured over 2,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk, which President Zelensky has referred to as an exchange fund, suggesting the possibility of a future prisoner exchange with Russia.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1823665815163469952/
The capture of such a large number of troops in Kursk has sparked controversy within the Russian public, as many of the captured soldiers were conscripts who had been deployed to Kursk for training, under the assumption that it was a safe location.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1823997987078463995/
This situation led to groups of Russian conscript mothers, organized by NGOs, demanding the exchange of their sons for Ukrainian Azov fighters held in Russian captivity since the Battle of Mariupol.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1824869218518806623/
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets noted that this marked the first time the Russian government had initiated negotiations for a prisoner exchange. Lubinets emphasized that the crisis with prisoners of war in Kursk had compelled Russia to take the initiative in addressing the issue for the first time. Ukrainian officials had previously reported that Russian authorities had rejected Ukrainian proposals for prisoner exchanges.
Ukrainian Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov stated that Ukraine will prioritize the return of seriously wounded and ill individuals, women, and those who have been in Russian captivity the longest. In contrast, Russian officials have focused on negotiating the exchange of conscripts, who make up over 80% of the captives from the Kursk area. Overall, the exchange of prisoners of war has become the main concern of the Russian government to prevent potential protests and widespread social discontent. Further losses of soldiers to Ukrainian captivity in the Kursk region, coupled with territorial losses, could risk the loss of support for the war effort. For the Ukrainians, the exchange of Russian prisoners of war for experienced Azov veterans of Mariupol for Russian conscripts can significantly bolster the fighting strength of the army, as many battle-hardened soldiers and officers could once again engage in offensive and defensive operations not only in Kursk but across the whole front.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
