Active hostilities continue in Russia’s Kursk region, following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces. Reports indicate that Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 30 kilometers into Russian territory, marking the deepest penetration by Kyiv since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that its forces had engaged Ukrainian troops near two villages in the Kursk region, thwarting attempts by Ukrainian armored mobile groups to penetrate further into Russian territory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of attempting to intimidate the civilian population of Russia.

Enerhodar. We have recorded from Nikopol that the Russian occupiers have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Currently, radiation levels are within norm. However, as long as the Russian terrorists maintain control over the nuclear plant, the… pic.twitter.com/TQUi3BJg4J

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2024

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations over a fire that broke out last night at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukrainian officials claim that Russian forces, who control the plant, deliberately started the fire in the cooling tower, possibly as a provocation or to incite panic. On the other hand, Russian officials blamed the incident on a Ukrainian drone strike, asserting that the fire resulted from an attack by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian nuclear company Rosatom confirmed that the fire at the Zaporizhzhia plant had been extinguished, though it caused damage to a cooling tower that was not operational at the time. Similarly, the Ukrainian nuclear power company Energoatom reported that one of the plant's cooling towers, along with other equipment, sustained damage in the fire. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has a team on-site, stated that the fire did not compromise nuclear safety, as all six reactors at the plant are currently shut down. The IAEA called for immediate access to the affected area to assess the damage and determine the cause of the fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured that there was no increase in radiation levels following the incident.

In another development, the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa was struck by ballistic missiles launched from Crimea. Explosions were reported in the city, leading authorities to urge residents to seek shelter until the air raid alarm was lifted. The attack is believed to have been carried out using Iskander-M missiles. Zelensky, in his evening address, referenced the recent surge in cross-border strikes by Russia, stating that nearly 2,000 attacks had been launched from Russia's western Kursk region into Ukraine’s Sumy region this summer, which he argued warranted a “just” Ukrainian response.

In response to the fire at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered heightened security measures for strategic infrastructure, including in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Following a surge in Ukrainian military activity near the border, Russia has initiated evacuations in parts of the Belgorod region. The move comes as Ukrainian forces carried out a surprise attack on August 6 in the Kursk region, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. This increased military engagement by Ukraine could be aimed at strengthening Kyiv’s position in potential ceasefire negotiations after the US elections.

Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of Belgorod Oblast announced that evacuations have commenced from the Krasnaya Yaruga area due to heightened "enemy activity on the border" which poses a substantial "threat." In response, Russia has imposed a stringent security regime across the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions. Meanwhile, Belarus has reported an increase in troop deployments along its border after alleging that Ukraine had violated its airspace with drones.

These bold Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory are seen as a demonstration of Kyiv's ability to carry out significant military operations, potentially enhancing its negotiating leverage with Western allies as it approaches possible ceasefire talks.

Russian forces, which have numerical superiority and control 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, have been making advances along a 1,000 km front this year following the unsuccessful Ukrainian counteroffensive of 2023.

On August 10, Ukraine officially acknowledged the attacks, with President Volodymyr Zelensky stating that the army's incursion into Russian territory was aimed at "restoring justice" and exerting pressure on Moscow's forces.

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