Conflicting reports on the evolution of the fighting in Kursk cast doubt on what is happening on the ground. The Ukrainian parliament voted a new budget of 10.8 billion euros for defense.
A Russian counteroffensive to retake parts of the Ukrainian-controlled Kursk region has been halted, a spokesman for the Ukrainian regional command told Agence France-Presse, adding that “several thousand” Russian citizens were in the area. The Russians “tried to attack from the side but were stopped, the situation has been stabilized and is under Ukrainian control,” said command spokesman Oleksiy Dmitrachkivskyi.
On the other side of the trenches, the story is a bit different. The Russian military continued its offensive operations in the Kursk region and repelled four Ukrainian counterattacks throughout the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, Major General Abdi Aladinov, told TASS that Russian fighters destroyed two pontoon crossings set up in the area by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Russian military announced on September 12 that it had recaptured territory following a surprise attack on Kursk by Ukrainian forces, amid media disagreements that began on February 23, 2022, the day the invasion began. Counterattack in the region. “They had some small victories, but that victory has now turned into a siege by Russian troops,” Dmitrachkivskiy said.
The spokesman added that “several thousand” Russian citizens were in Ukrainian-controlled territory. “In some places there are more than a hundred people”, in others, “more than two hundred, more than five hundred”, the Ukrainian soldiers denied mistreating civilians.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s parliament this Wednesday approved an increase of 500 billion hryvnias, or 10.8 billion euros, in the defense budget. About 60% of the funds should be used for military salaries and 40% for weapons and equipment, a member of parliament said on social media. In total, 298 MPs voted in favor of the budget increase and none voted against, according to Ukrainian press. “This year’s expenditure is a record” 80 billion euros
According to the head of the budget committee, Roksolana Pitlasa, additional financing will be obtained by issuing state bonds and reducing costs related to the payment of the state debt. Another 700 million euros will come from revenue raised through tax increases and 275 million from excise duties on tobacco and fuel.