WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia strikes energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy region, authorities say

Russia fired missiles at energy infrastructure in the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday hours after an overnight drone strike on the region, reducing power in some areas and forcing authorities to use back-up power systems.

The Sumy region's governor, Volodymyr Artiukh, citing an initial assessment, said Russia had used at least four missiles in the latest attack on energy facilities. Ukraine's energy ministry said Russia's attacks had caused a fire at a power substation and cut power to more than 281,000 consumers. Power was later partially restored, it said.

Acting Sumy mayor Artem Kobzar said there were no casualties in the city, but regional officials said the overnight drone attack had damaged the region's Konotop, Okhtyrka and Sumy districts.

Critical infrastructure facilities had to use back-up power systems, regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 51 drones in Tuesday's attack, of which 34 were shot down.

Russia also dropped three guided bombs on the town of Hlukhiv, Ukraine's northern military command said on Telegram. Two people were wounded and 20 private houses, public transport and a grain silo suffered damage.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has been attacking energy infrastructure in what Kyiv says is a concerted effort to degrade the energy system before winter, when people need electricity and heating most.

Russian forces have been steadily advancing in Ukraine's east, while Ukrainian forces remain in the Russian region of Kursk following a cross-border incursion last month.

Moscow said its air defence systems had overnight destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones over Russia's Kursk and Bryansk regions.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian breakthrough attempts thwarted: developments in Kursk Region

The offensive of the battlegroup North continues in the Kursk Region, several brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces have been defeated over the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

In addition, the Russian military repelled five attempts of the enemy to break through the border towards the settlements of Veseloye and Medvezhye.

TASS has gathered the key news about the unfolding situation.

Operation to neutralize Ukrainian forces

- The Russian military repelled four enemy counterattacks towards Lyubimovka, Malaya Loknya, Olgovka and Cherkasskaya Konopelka.

- The army also repulsed five Ukrainian attempts to break through the border near the settlements of Veseloye and Medvezhye.

- The advance of Russia’s battlegroup North continues, its units delivered strikes on the Ukrainian formations of the 22nd, 41st and 115th mechanized, 17th armored, and 82nd air assault brigades, the National Guard’s 1st brigade as well as the 112th and 129th defense brigades in the vicinity of Lyubimovka, Malaya Loknya, Daryino, Nikolo-Daryino, Tolsty Lug and Plekhovo.

- The Russian military struck clusters of manpower and hardware of the 22nd, 41st and 61st mechanized, 17th tank, 80th, 82nd and 95th airborne assault brigades, as well as the 112th and 129th defense brigades near Daryino, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Kruglenkoe, Zazulevka, Lyubimovka, Mirny, Makhnovka, Mikhailovka, Malaya Loknya, Nikolo-Daryino, Novy Put, Novaya Sorochina, Novoivanovka, Orlovka, Pravda, Plekhovo, Russkoe Porechnoye and Tolsty Lug.

- Russian jets hit Ukrainian reserves in the Sumy Region.

Ukraine’s losses

- Over the day, Ukraine lost up to 400 troops and 19 armored vehicles, including four tanks, a Swedish-made CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle and 14 armored combat vehicles, as well as five artillery pieces, five mortars, six vehicles and an engineering demolition vehicle.

- Since the beginning of hostilities in Russia’s borderline region, Ukraine’s losses have amounted to more than 14,200 troops, 119 tanks, 45 infantry fighting vehicles, 91 armored personnel carriers, 743 armored combat vehicles, 445 vehicles, 103 artillery pieces, 28 multiple rocket launchers, including seven HIMARS and six US-made MLRS, eight launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, four transport and loading vehicles, 26 radar stations, seven counter-battery radars, two air defense radars, 14 pieces of engineering equipment, including eight engineering demolition vehicles and a UR-77 demining unit.

Alaudinov’s statements

- The Russian military has mopped up Kursk Region's Borki from Ukrainian troops. Reinforcement units have entered the settlement, Deputy Chief of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, Commander of the Akhmat special forces, Major General Apty Alaudinov said.

- He added that Akhmat forces destroyed a significant number of Ukrainian infantry attempting to establish positions in several areas near Sudzha.

- Alaudinov added that several dozen foreign instructors had appeared near Sudzha.

Reuters/Tass