WORLD BRIEFING: August 16, 2024
Russia appears to have diverted several thousand troops from occupied territory inside Ukraine to counter a surprisingly successful Ukrainian offensive inside Russian borders in a move that potentially weakens Moscow’s war effort, two senior US officials told CNN. The report confirms what the Wall Street Journal wrote on Friday. CNN says: “The development has drawn American attention and US officials are now working to determine precisely how many troops Russia is moving, but sources said multiple brigade-sized elements made up of at least 1,000 troops each appeared to have shifted to the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an operation last week.” “It is apparent to us that Mr. Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN on Thursday. The Russian troop movements away from Ukraine “doesn’t mean that Mr. Putin has given up military operations in the northeast part of Ukraine or even down towards the south, towards places like Zaporizhya,” Kirby said. “There’s still active fighting along that front.”
Ukraine has set up a military administrative office in Russia's western Kursk region, where its surprise incursion into Russian territory continues, according to its top military commander. Gen Oleksandr Syrsky said the office would "maintain law and order" and "meet the immediate needs" of the population in the area. In a video posted on social media, Gen Syrsky is seen telling a meeting chaired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the office has been created "on the territories controlled by Ukraine". Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has said Moscow will send reinforcements to "safeguard" the population in the region - BBC
Ukrainian troops were 35km inside the Kursk region, where they control 1,150sq km of territory, including 82 settlements, Gen Syrsky said.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday that Kyiv's cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region was required to convince Moscow to start "fair" peace talks. Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine had no interest in occupying Kursk but it had to force Russia to start talks on Kyiv's terms. “We need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia," Podolyak wrote on Telegram. "In the Kursk region, we clearly see how the military tool is objectively used to convince the Russian Federation to enter into a fair negotiation process." - Reuters
The Biden administration is “open” to sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a move that would give Kyiv’s F-16s greater combat punch as it seeks to gain further momentum in its fight against Russia. The White House’s willingness to give Ukraine the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile comes as Kyiv’s surprisingly successful ground assault deep inside Russia heads into its second week, embarrassing Vladimir Putin and forcing him to redirect troops from the battlefield in Ukraine. No final decision has been made on sending the missile, but the administration is working through the complicated details now, according to one Biden administration official. Those issues include reviews of the transfer of sensitive technologies, and ensuring Ukraine’s jets can launch the 2,400-pound missile that carries a 1,000-pound warhead. The official, along with two other people familiar with internal deliberations, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. The Pentagon declined to comment on whether it had approved the transfer of the missile. - Politico
Nearly 2,000 vehicles were waiting to cross the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia with Ukraine's occupied Crimea region, after officials closed the span overnight when explosions were heard in the area. The blasts caused slight damage in the city of Kerch and were believed to be the result of a Ukrainian drone attack. The pro-Russian Telegram channel Crimean Wind published single footage purporting to show an explosion and claiming it had caused "a large fire." - RFE/RL
International diplomacy to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider regional conflict intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel while internationally mediated cease-fire talks in Qatar were expected to enter their second day. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. “This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “The risk of the situation spiraling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region.” Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné were expected hold a joint meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. - AP
Sweden has confirmed it has recorded its first case of a contagious new variant of mpox - a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global health emergency. The strain, known as clade 1b, emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths in Africa this year, officials have said, which exceeds last year's total. Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report 96% of all cases and deaths have been in DR Congo. There are currently no cases of the virus in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said, and its deputy director Dr Meera Chand claims the risk "is currently considered low…However, planning is under way to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK," she added. - Sky News
