“Our operation in Kursk continues”Ukraine does not stop, the attack on Russian territory continues: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not calm down after 16 days of Kiev's forces' incursion into the Russian region and claims to “maintain control over the designated areas.”

“We have understood the enemy’s steps and are strengthening ourselves,” Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation, in which he relayed the latest reports from Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi. The president reiterated that “it is extremely important that our partners honor their commitments to all aid packages and all agreements. This is crucial for our defense.” Speaking lastly about the situation in Kursk, he said he was “grateful to our troops and to all units that feed the ‘exchange fund’,” a formula referring to the capture of prisoners.

Ukraine tries to break through a new front

Meanwhile, Moscow announced that Russian forces had done so. An attempt by the Ukrainian army to infiltrate the Bryansk border region was rejected.“During the battle, an infiltration attempt was thwarted,” Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram, citing RIA Novosti.

The Ukrainian offensive was to target the Klimovsky district as early as August 21. This action could have been opposed by FSB units guarding the border and Ukrainian units would have come under Russian fire. According to Bogomaz, the situation has stabilized and the regional authorities are in full control of the area. There is no information from Ukrainian sources.

Borrell: 'Lifting restrictions in Kyiv will help'

The European Union, for its part, has opened the door to lifting restrictions on the use of weapons in Kiev. The Ukrainian offensive in Kursk “represents a serious blow to Russian President Putin’s narrative,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in a post on capabilities against the Russian military involved in the aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international standards. The law will have several important effects: it will strengthen Ukraine’s self-defense, with Russia no longer “a haven for its attacks and shelling of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, it will save lives, reduce destruction in Ukraine and help advance peace efforts.”

Borrell then noted that he had assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who will be in Brussels next week, of his “full support for his fight against Russian aggression.” He concluded by saying: “I look forward to meeting him in Brussels and discussing with EU foreign and defence ministers next week as we move forward in our support for Ukraine.”