SHOCK AND AWE IN KURSK: Russia was shocked when what first appeared to be a small cross-border raid turned out to be a major offensive, gobbling up miles of its territory in the Kursk region on Ukraine’s northeastern border. Western nations, including the U.S., were awed at Ukraine’s battalions’ rapid advances and the stealth and deception that were integral to the counter-invasion’s success.
“Geolocated footage and Russian claims indicate that Ukrainian forces continued rapid advances further into Kursk Oblast on August 8, and Ukrainian forces are reportedly present in areas as far as 35 kilometers (21 miles) from the international border with Sumy Oblast,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest update on the war. They also noted that it’s harder to know exactly how much territory is actually under the control of Ukrainian forces now that they are operating within the border of Russia.
Social media is full of postings from Kursk, showing residents evacuating, Russian troops surrendering, and, in one case, what appears to be a convoy of trucks carrying Russian reinforcements destroyed, with burned-out wreckage and dead soldiers visible along a stretch of road near Rylsk. Reports suggested as many as 500 to 1,000 Russian troops may have been killed.
UKRAINE THINKS KURSK OFFENSIVE SHOWCASES ‘RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE’ AGAINST RUSSIA
PENTAGON GREEN LIGHTS US WEAPONS: The Pentagon is signaling that Ukraine is free to use U.S.-supplied weapons, such as HIMARS and ATACMS rocket systems, as its troops battle Russian forces on their home turf.
“The dynamics have shifted on the battlefield,” said Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, at yesterday’s regular briefing. “As they see attacks coming across the border, they have to be able to have the capabilities to respond. And so you’re seeing some of these cross-border counterfire measures that they’re being able to take that are near the border of Ukraine.”
“It is consistent with our policy and we have supported Ukraine from the very beginning to defend themselves against attacks that are coming across the border and for the need for crossfires,” Singh said. “So they are taking actions to protect themselves from attacks that are coming from a region that are within the U.S. policy of where they can operate.”
“We don’t support long-range attacks into (Russia). We’ve said that from the very beginning,” Singh said. “I’m not going to draw, you know, a circular map here for you of where they can and can’t strike, but we’ve been very clear with the Ukrainians.”
THE BIG QUESTION: Ukraine has remained tight-lipped about its force disposition inside Russia, and the ISW said it will not “make forecasts about what Ukrainian forces might or might not do or where or when they might do it” or “offer assessments about the intent of this Ukrainian operation in order to avoid compromising Ukrainian operational security.”
The big question now: what is the ultimate objective? Does Ukraine plan to try to hold land to trade in future peace negotiations? Or is the aim to shift the narrative and embarrass Russian President Vladimir Putin?
In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a cryptic statement which appeared to be in reference to the Kursk campaign. “Ukrainians know how to achieve their goals. And achieving the goals at war was not our choice,” He said. “Russia brought the war to our land, and it should feel what it has done.”
Meanwhile, in Moscow, a stone-faced Putin was briefed on the frantic evacuation of civilians from villages by the region’s acting governor, Alexei Smirnov. “This was quite a difficult job because the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups are firing at civilians and ambulances that are evacuating the population,” Smirnov told Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript. “People were transported to a safe distance first, from where we organized their further transportation by large-capacity buses. This work was carried out around the clock, and it continues at the moment.”
Putin indicated his concern for the “victims” by announcing he’s authorizing a payment of 10,000 rubles ($114) to people displaced by the Ukrainian incursion.
BRITISH ARMY CHIEF OUTLINES NEW STRATEGY TO DEFEAT RUSSIA
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HAPPENING TODAY: Israel launched a new assault into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, triggering Palestinians to evacuate once again from the heavily destroyed area. Israeli warplanes struck 30 Hamas targets in the city, including fighters and weapons storage sites, according to the Associated Press, which quoted the Israeli military as saying its troops “were searching for Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure while engaging in combat “above and below ground.”
TIME TO END THE SUFFERING: In the latest effort to secure the cease-fire deal first proposed by President Joe Biden, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have issued a joint statement calling for Israel and Hamas to resume talks next week in either Doha or Cairo.
“It is time to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families. The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal,” the statement said. “There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay. It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement.”
The renewed effort to seal the deal comes after Biden spoke Tuesday with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim.
“Out of those calls came that very constructive proposal to issue a joint statement from the leaders. And both Qatar and Egypt believed this would be very useful, as they’re working on the Hamas side, and the Israelis were also very receptive to this,” a senior administration official told reporters in a conference call yesterday.
“These three leaders have been involved in this hostage negotiation, ceasefire agreement negotiation, now for some months. And as the statement says, there’s a framework agreement that is on the table with, really, the details of implementation that are left to conclude.”
CEASEFIRE MEDIATORS URGE ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS NEXT WEEK
NETANYAHU’S IN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement indicating that Israel would participate in those discussions.
“Pursuant to the proposal by the U.S. and the mediators, Israel will – on 15 August – send the negotiations team to a place to be determined in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement,” the statement said.
If ceasefire talks occur as requested, CIA Director William Burns is expected to represent the U.S. at the table.
With the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, representation of Hamas would fall to the newly named leader of Hamas’s political wing, Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s underground tunnels.
NETANYAHU WON’T END THE WAR WITH HAMAS FOR ‘ALL THE HOSTAGES’
BIDEN REVIEWS ISRAEL DEFENSE PLANS: The U.S. is still positioning its forces to help defend Israel in the event of a major attack from Iran, which Tehran has threatened in response to the killing of Haniyeh on their soil.
On Monday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had what was described as a “very in-depth discussion” with his national security team to “review the military deployments to the region in preparation for the potential defense of Israel given a potential attack from Iran or Hezbollah or anyone else,” according to the senior official who briefed reporters.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Central Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, who is in the region, participated by phone.
“Last week Secretary Austin bolstered our force posture in the region to improve U.S. force protection, increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to a various number of contingencies,” spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said at the Pentagon. “The secretary and the department remain intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the region and pushing for a ceasefire as part of the hostage deal to end the war in Gaza.”
HARRIS DOESN’T SUPPORT ARMS EMBARGO ON ISRAEL
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Ukraine thinks Kursk offensive showcases ‘right to self-defense’ against Russia
Washington Examiner: Ceasefire mediators urge Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations next week
Washington Examiner: Harris doesn’t support arms embargo on Israel
Washington Examiner: Netanyahu won’t end the war with Hamas for ‘all the hostages’
Washington Examiner: British Army chief outlines new strategy to defeat Russia
Washington Examiner: Killer robots have arrived on the battlefield
New York Times: Ukraine’s Push into Russia Is a Surprising Turn in the War
Washington Post: Israel Repelled Iran’s First Direct Attack. Is It Ready for the Next One?
Military.com: As the Gaza Pier Is Packed Up, Experts Worry About What It Portends for a War in the Pacific
Breaking Defense: 5th Fleet Chief: Houthis Support ‘Diversifying’ Beyond Iran, U.S. Navy Playing ‘Shock Absorber’
VOA: Houthis Undeterred Despite U.S. Action To Protect Red Sea Shipping
Reuters: China Looks To Its Shipyards To Beat U.S. In Any Future War
Newsweek: U.S. Watches China’s Military With New Eyes Near Taiwan
Washington Post: Vietnam Accelerates Island Building To Challenge China’s Maritime Claims
Military.com: ‘Zero Day’: New 10-Part Series Imagines What A Chinese Invasion Of Taiwan Might Actually Look Like
New York Times: Israel Prepares For Anticipated Retaliation By Iran And Hezbollah
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-22s Land in Middle East, Countering Iran and its Proxies
Defense News: Pentagon Begins Awarding Contracts for Next Round of Replicator
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Anduril Unveils Plans for Huge ‘Arsenal’ Factory to Build Autonomous Weapons Like CCA
Defense News: Cheap First-Person-View Drones Now Hunting Larger Prey in Ukraine
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Whiting Calls for ‘Space Fires’ in Rare Hint About Offensive Weapons
Defense One: Near-Autonomous Satellites Could Be Coming in a Decade, Space Force Envisions
DefenseScoop: DOD’s FutureG Office Implementing, Testing 5G Capabilities for Military Ops
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Agile Cash Employment Funds the Fight at Massive Air Force Exercise
Stars and Stripes: Another Security Forces Airman Found Dead on American Base in South Korea
Soldier of Fortune: Opinion: Walz Should Have Known That Veterans Would Challenge His Military Service Record
Breaking Defense: Pay the PIPIR: DOD Launching New Indo-Pacific Partnership for Buying, Sustaining Weapons
Breaking Defense: Opinion: 3 Steps Towards Fixing the Acquisition Insanity at the Pentagon
THE CALENDAR:
FRIDAY | AUGUST 9
8 a.m. Washington Convention Center — “National Defense Industrial Association Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition,” with Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering; Maryna Bezrukova, director, Defense Procurement Agency; and Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady https://www.ndiatechexpo.org/