Russian tanks enter the battle.
Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
Did Russia retake two villages in Kursk?
On September 16, the Russian army announced it had regained control of two villages in the western Kursk province, viewing this as proof of the effectiveness of its counter-offensive against Ukrainian forces.
The two villages mentioned in the Russian Ministry of Defense report are Uspenovka and Borki. These two locations are approximately 20 km apart on the Russian border with the Sumy Oblast of Ukraine.
Points of conflict: Ukrainian supporters attempt to shoot Trump; Houthi rebels fire missiles at Israel.
The Kyiv authorities have not commented on the announcement.
A senior Russian commander said last week that his army had regained control of about 10 settlements, while Ukraine said it held about 100 villages in Kursk, spread across an area of more than 1,300 square kilometers.
Meanwhile, Russian forces announced they were continuing their advance eastward into Ukraine toward Pokrovsk, a key railway and logistics hub for the Kyiv government's military.
Successfully controlling Pokrovsk would mark a significant step forward for Russia in its efforts to control all of Donetsk.
Ukraine has not commented on the developments related to Pokrovsk.
Ukraine leverages drone capabilities on the battlefield.
Ukraine establishes drone force.
On September 16, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree establishing a new branch of the armed forces that will focus on the use of unmanned systems, according to the Kyiv Independent .
President Zelensky first announced plans to create an Unmanned Systems Force in February, emphasizing the importance of drones on the Ukrainian front.
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vadym Sukharevskyi has been appointed commander of the youngest force in the Ukrainian army.
The US wants to discuss strategy with Ukraine.
The Unmanned Systems Force was created to improve Ukraine's drone operations, establish all-drone "special forces" units, and improve the production, training, and manufacturing of new unmanned vehicles.
The emergence of this new force comes after the Ukrainian military announced it had successfully developed and deployed drones for aerial, maritime, and ground operations for reconnaissance, combat, and other missions in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukraine aims to produce 1 million drones this year, in addition to thousands of other unmanned systems donated by foreign partners.
Russia expands its military.
Russian military parade on Red Square in Moscow
On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an expansion of the standing army to 1.5 million people, an increase of 180,000 compared to before.
Specifically, according to the decree published on the Kremlin website, Putin decided to increase the size of the armed forces to 2.38 million people, of which 1.5 million are active-duty military personnel.
When the decree officially takes effect on December 1st, Russia will surpass the United States to become the world's second-largest military. China will be in first place with over 2 million active-duty troops.
Biden said he wasn't afraid of Putin but wouldn't allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles at Russia.
This is the third troop surge since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The previous two surges, in August 2022 and December 2023 respectively, saw the Russian military increase by 137,000 and 170,000 personnel, bringing the total to 1.15 million and 1.32 million soldiers.
In addition, from September to October 2022, Russia mobilized more than 300,000 soldiers.
The Kremlin says there are no plans for a new mobilization, but the government will continue to rely on contract recruitment to maintain the necessary numbers for special operations, according to TASS.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-936-nga-se-vuot-mat-my-ve-quan-so-185240916205529951.htm
