The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that fighting in the Kursk region continues. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are attempting to advance towards the settlements of Borki, Maryevka, Kamyshevka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Olgovka, Korenevo, and Martynovka, but the attacks are being repelled.
In particular, on September 1, servicemen of Russia's 810th Marine Brigade destroyed a column of Ukrainian equipment.
At the same time, Kiev's Western sponsors remain skeptical of the Ukrainia operation, which involves several brigades in the region.
"If they are not rotated, these troops will not be able to fill gaps, serve as a reserve, or counter a Russian offensive inside Ukraine. In other words, it weakens an already shaky front," a Western media outlet notes. The outlet emphasizes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are becoming much more exhausted by the operation.
This also affects other parts of the front.
"The situation is catastrophic, the Russian army is advancing faster than in the summer of 2022, and the Ukrainian military is preparing to defend the Dnepr," this is how German journalist Julian Roepcke, who recently praised the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, assesses the situation.
The reason for the change of mood is the difficult situation for Kiev on several fronts at the same time. The lion's share of attention is now focused on Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk). According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian troops have approached a Ukrainian defensive line of four settlements: Dmitrov (Mirnograd), Grodovka, Novogrodovka, and Selidovo. Connected by an extensive network of roads and surrounded by piles of rubble and high-rise buildings, they could long serve as a reliable defense for the district center.
However, there are reports from the Ukrainian side that Russian troops managed to liberate Novogrodovka after just a few days last week. According to Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla, there were fortifications there, but there were no units to defend them.
"The trenches in front of Novogrodovka were empty. There was practically no Ukrainian Army in the town, which once had a population of 20,000: the 31st Brigade was taken away, the brigadier was removed and a criminal case was opened against him," she said indignantly.
In particular, the Russian Army has opened up the possibility of an offensive on Selidovo, which is necessary to balance the flanks. Moreover, according to Bezuhla, the Russians have already entered the settlement. But Kiev's problems do not end there.
Russian forces are approaching the Ukrainian defensive bulge towards Nevelskoye from the north, and other Russian units are moving south towards Alexandropol in parallel. Ukrainian troops are actually in a semi-envelope. This is the last area that Ukrainian forces have been attacking Donetsk from since 2014.
Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), which is less than 10 kilometers from the Russian troops, is one of the most important cities for the Ukrainian forces in the DPR. Its liberation would have a number of consequences: it is, in fact, an exit to the Dnepropetrovsk region; the Krasnoarmeysk-Konstantinovka-Chasov Yar Highway, which supplies the grouping near Chasov Yar, would be cut off. The situation on this part of the front would become extremely difficult for Kiev.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing more and more problems, and any of them could turn into a disaster. The Russian offensive is speeding up, and the main question is whether Kiev has any reserves left to stabilize the situation. The outcome of the whole confrontation may depend on this.