On 16 August, Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast resulted in the destruction of the main road bridge over the Seym River in Glushkovo. The air strike severed a key transport artery, cutting a substantial part of the Glushkovo district off from supply routes.

The Institute for the Study of War confirmed the capture by Russian forces of the localities of Orlivka and Zhelanne. In Dnipro, following a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile strike in the vicinity of an air base, Ukraine lost a MiG-29 fighter aircraft.

On 18 August, Ukrainian aviation destroyed a second critical bridge over the Seym River, further deepening the logistical paralysis of Russian troops in the Glushkovo area. In the face of mounting losses and acute manpower shortages, Russian command began forming ad hoc infantry units from Aerospace Forces personnel—including engineers and mechanics servicing nuclear bases and cosmodromes—indicating a critical depletion of reserves. That night, Ukrainian drones carried out a successful strike on the Kavkaz oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, triggering a large-scale fire that Russian emergency services were unable to contain for several days.

On 19 August, Ukrainian forces destroyed the third and final bridge over the Seym River near Karyzh, effectively sealing a pocket that may have trapped up to 800 Russian airborne troops. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine’s Armed Forces now controlled 92 localities and approximately 1,250 km² of Russian territory. That day, Denmark and Germany unveiled additional military aid packages, including IRIS-T air defence systems and financing for ammunition purchases from Ukraine’s domestic defence industry.

On 20 August, Russia declared the complete capture of the town of New York, opening the way for a direct advance toward Toretsk and increasing pressure on Ukrainian defences in Donbas. General Oleksandr Syrskyi presented the first official map of the Kursk operation, indicating Ukrainian control over 1,263 km² and 93 localities, with advances penetrating 28–35 kilometres into Russian territory. Ukrainian aviation, employing precision AASM Hammer bombs, destroyed a Russian underground command post, degrading the adversary’s coordination capabilities.

In response to the deepening border crisis, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov announced the creation of three new force groupings—“Belgorod,” “Kursk,” and “Bryansk”—signalling a shift toward defensive reorganisation. In Kursk Oblast, authorities moved to accelerate the gubernatorial election, citing security concerns. That evening, a Russian missile strike on a children’s café in Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed a fifteen-year-old boy. The incident added to the rising civilian death toll and underscored that since the start of the full-scale invasion Russia has used more than 9,600 missiles, many directed at non-military targets.

On 21 August, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces continued the systematic destruction of Russian logistics in Kursk Oblast, eliminating additional pontoon bridges across the Seym River. In the rear, Ukraine launched a mass drone attack targeting, inter alia, Moscow—where 11 drones were reportedly shot down—and the Savasleyka air base, where, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), several MiG-31K aircraft (carriers of Kinzhal missiles) were destroyed or damaged. In Donetsk Oblast, the situation remained critical as Russian forces captured Komyshivka, drawing closer to Pokrovsk. A major political development occurred when the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Rome Statute, paving the way for Ukraine’s full cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

On 23 August, a historic visit took place as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv—the first visit by an Indian head of government since Ukraine’s independence. Affirming support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law, Modi signed four cooperation agreements with President Zelenskyy. On the Kursk front, an unusual engagement was reported: Russian forces converted a women’s penal colony in Malaya Loknya into a fortified position, using guard towers as firing points against advancing Ukrainian units. In Donbas, Russia’s capture of Mykolaivka was confirmed, marking another step toward the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

On Ukraine’s Independence Day (24 August), President Zelenskyy announced the first combat use of a new domestically produced weapon: the Palianytsia missile-drone, a long-range hybrid system designed for strikes deep inside Russia. As part of the commemorations, a prisoner exchange took place, with 115 individuals released by each side; those returning home included defenders of Azovstal and soldiers captured in Kursk Oblast.

On 25 August, a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile struck the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, killing a British security adviser working with Reuters and wounding three journalists. President Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast advanced a further 1–3 kilometres, capturing two additional localities.

Illustrative photo generated by AI