Ukraine ‘hits third Russian bridge’ as assault on Kursk region continues

19 August 2024, 19:39

Ukrainian forces have hit a third bridge in Russia’s Kursk region as they continue their counter-offensive, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Ukraine is yet to confirm the strike, but this comes after Zelenskyy’s forces captured over 1000sqkm of the Russian border region.

As part of their advancement, Ukraine has already captured two bridges along the Seym River.

Mr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that his forces would continue to take "maximum counteroffensive actions" in a bid to create a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine.

Read more: Belarus president and key Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko urges Russia and Ukraine to end war

"Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, the Russian state, their military industrial complex and their economy - all this helps us to prevent the widening of the war," he said.

More than 121,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region since Ukraine began its advancement.

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a key ally of Vladimir Putin, has urged Russia and Ukraine to end the war.

Speaking in an interview on Russian state TV, Lukashenko said that Moscow and Kyiv should come to an agreement about the war ending in order that it didn't spill over into Belarus.

Lukashenko added that the West only wanted Ukraine to keep fighting because of a desire for it and Russia to "destroy each other".

He said: "Let's sit down at the negotiating table and end this brawl. Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need it. They (the West) need it."

It emerged last week that Ukraine was using British tanks in its incursion into Russia.

The British Ministry of Defence did not comment on this specifically, but reiterated Ukraine had "a clear right" to use UK-supplied weapons for "self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks".

"That does not preclude operations inside Russia," an MoD spokesman added.

"We make clear during the gifting process that equipment is to be used in line with international law."

Ben Wallace, the Conservative former Defence Secretary, said that during his time in office Ukraine had permission to strike at Russian targets with whatever weapons they had - apart from the Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

Mr Wallace added that it was "perfectly legitimate" for Ukraine to attack logistics and infrastructure using British weapons.

Britain was one of the first countries to provide tank support to Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

2023 saw Downing Street provide 14 Challenger 2 tanks to aid in Ukraine’s failed summer offensive, one was destroyed.