Ukraine has successfully demolished a critical bridge over the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region.
Further intensifying its ongoing incursion into Russian territory, the operation was conducted near the town of Glushkovo, has severed key supply lines in the area, according to Russian officials, effectively isolating part of the local district.
The destroyed bridge, which was vital for Russia’s military logistics, may significantly hinder their troop movements and resupply efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his forces are consolidating their positions in the Kursk region, describing the captured territories as an “exchange fund,” suggesting they could be used as leverage to negotiate the return of Ukrainian regions currently occupied by Russia.
Now in its second week, this Ukrainian operation marks the deepest incursion into Russian territory since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over two years ago.
The cross-border offensive has led to the displacement of more than 120,000 people, though Kyiv has consistently denied any intention of occupying Russian land.
“Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories,” a senior adviser to President Zelensky reiterated on Friday.
Mykhailo Podolyak, one of Zelensky’s top aides, emphasized that one of Ukraine’s primary goals in this operation is to bring Russia to the negotiating table “on our own terms.
” He stated, “In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process,” adding that Kyiv has demonstrated “effective means of coercion.”
On Friday, Ukrainian military leader Oleksandr Syrsky reported further progress in the offensive. “The troops of the offensive group continue to fight and have advanced in some areas from one to three kilometers towards the enemy,” Syrsky informed President Zelensky in a social media video.
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He also expressed optimism about capturing “many prisoners” during an ongoing battle in the village of Mala Loknya, located about 13 kilometers from the Russian border.
As Ukraine presses deeper into western Russia, the Belgorod region’s authorities have announced plans to evacuate five villages near the Ukrainian border.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated, “From 19 August, we are closing access to five settlements, removing residents and helping them bring out their property,” listing several small villages in the border area.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have made their own advances in eastern Ukraine. On Friday, Moscow reported the capture of Serhiivka, adding to a series of towns taken by Russian troops in recent weeks.
These gains bring Russian forces closer to the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, a critical supply route for Ukrainian troops on the eastern front.
In the Donetsk region, which has been under intense Ukrainian artillery fire, Russian-installed officials accused Kyiv of launching a strike on a shopping center that injured at least seven people.
Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, reported ongoing shelling in the area since midday Friday.
Over the past 24 hours, three civilians have been killed and five others injured, according to local authorities.
In Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, the Russian defense ministry announced that missiles targeting a bridge built under President Vladimir Putin’s orders were intercepted overnight.
The Kerch Bridge, a frequent target since the start of Moscow’s military campaign, has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces.
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