A heavy Russian Tulpan (Tulip) self-propelled 240mm mortar pictured on September 3, 2024. © Sputnik / Sergey Bobylev
The past week in the Ukraine conflict has been marked with active hostilities continuing along the front line, with Moscow's troops making new gains in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), as well as apparently stabilizing the situation in Kursk Region, where the Ukrainian incursion drive has largely stalled.
Donbass advance continues
The Russian military has made new gains in the DPR, continuing their advance to the northwest of the town of Ocheretino, once a major stronghold for Ukrainian troops. The town used to be a key logistics hub for Kiev troops and the main staging point in the ultimately unsuccessful effort to stop Moscow's forces after the fall of Avdeevka early this year.
Over the week, the Russian troops continued to push westwards and southwestwards from the town, liberating multiple villages in the area, namely Ptychye, Skuchnoye, Karlovka, Zavetnoye and Zhuravka.
The fighting now reportedly continues in the town of Ukrainsk and Selidovo, while the village of Galytsynovka has been reportedly seized by the Russian forces already. Moscow's forces are now apparently expanding their zone of control to reinforce their flanks while pushing towards the city of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk), the last major settlement under Ukrainian control in the area.
New gains were also reported near the so-called Vremevka Ledge, a string of villages in the west of DPR, which saw intensive combat during the ultimately disastrous Ukrainian counteroffensive last year. On Wednesday, the Russian military announced the liberation of Prechistovka, a village roughly halfway between the Vremevka Ledge and the Ukrainian-controlled town of Ugledar. The small mining town, located atop a hill in the open, has been turned by Kiev into a major fortress.
The Russian military has also reported new gains in the town of Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) area, seizing control of the village of Kirovo (Pivnichnoye) located immediately to the east of the city. Russian troops reportedly entered Toretsk itself in late August, with active fighting continuing inside the town.
Ukraine's push into Kursk stalls
The ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk Region has apparently lost its momentum, with the frontline remaining largely static in the area. Neither side made any significant territorial gains, with active hostilities continuing in the vicinity of villages of Borki, Malaya Loknya, Kazachya Loknya, Korenevo and other locations.
The Russian military has repelled multiple assaults over the week, as well as continued long-range strikes on the reserves amassing in neighboring Ukraine's Sumy region. Ukrainian forces have been subjected to repeated drone and artillery strikes on Russia's territory as well.
On Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry reported destruction of a French-made Caesar self-propelled howitzer in the village of Nikolayevo-Daryino, a large Ukrainian-controlled village located near the border. The 155mm NATO howitzer and an escort vehicle were spotted traveling at a high speed through the village before heading into a wooded area. The location was targeted by russian artillery, with a major fire observed after the strike, footage shared by the military shows.