The Russia-Ukraine war has now reached its 900th day, and there have been some significant developments that have taken place. One of the key events that occurred was a surprise incursion by Ukraine into the Russian region of Kursk. Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskii, mentioned that Kyiv now controls around 1,000sq km of Kursk after the incursion on August 6. This incursion led to the loss of 28 settlements in Kursk, according to Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov, with casualties including 12 civilians killed and 121 injured. Additionally, 121,000 residents have been evacuated from the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine’s actions were an attempt to destabilize Russia and that there would be a strong response. On the other hand, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, reported increased Ukrainian military activity and the evacuation of residents in the Krasnaya Yaruga district.
In Ukraine, there was a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts could not determine the cause. Both Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the incident. Furthermore, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the capture of the settlement of Lysychne in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
On the political and diplomatic front, China called for de-escalation following Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk. Switzerland and Italy expressed deep concern over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and emphasized the need for Moscow’s presence at the next peace summit. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s deputy energy minister and three other suspects were arrested for accepting a bribe, and a Russian court sentenced Usman Baratov to four years in a penal colony for mocking troops fighting in Ukraine on social media.
In terms of weapons, the United States warned Iran against sending ballistic missiles to Russia, stating that it would trigger a severe response and hinder Tehran’s efforts to improve relations. Reports suggested that Iran was planning to deliver hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles to Moscow.
As the conflict continues, the international community is closely monitoring the situation and urging for peaceful resolutions to the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.