Five Civilians Killed in Belgorod as Ukraine's Operation in Kursk Intensifies

Five civilians were killed, and 12 others were injured after Ukrainian forces shelled the town of Rakitnoye in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Among the injured were three children, with nine people hospitalized, including a 16-year-old girl in intensive care. Gladkov assured that the region would provide support to all those affected, emphasizing the need to endure and overcome the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.

These developments in Belgorod occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine’s military operation in Russia’s Kursk region is proceeding according to plan. Zelenskiy noted that the operation aims to prevent Moscow from advancing on the northeastern city of Sumy and to capture Russian soldiers for potential prisoner exchanges. The first such exchange took place on Saturday, with 115 soldiers swapped by both sides.

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk, the first foreign military offensive on Russian soil since World War II, has caught the Kremlin off guard, leading to significant displacement of residents in the region. Despite this, Russian military commanders have yet to redirect substantial forces from the front lines in Ukraine’s Donbas region to counter the offensive. Zelenskiy clarified that Ukraine does not intend to use the captured territory in Kursk as leverage in negotiations with Russia, instead reaffirming his commitment to a peace process that includes full Russian troop withdrawal from Ukrainian land.

In Rakitnoye, the Ukrainian shelling also damaged ten households, four vehicles, and a gas pipeline, disrupting supply to three areas. Governor Gladkov condemned the attack, labeling it an act of terror by Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry announced that it had sent additional artillery and missile systems to the Kursk region to bolster Russian forces engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops who crossed the border earlier in August.

Separately, Zelenskiy revealed that Ukraine successfully deployed a new "missile-drone" on Saturday, targeting over 20 Russian military airfields. Details about the missile, named "Palyanytsia," remain limited, but it is described as an entirely Ukrainian development with a turbojet engine, launched from a ground complex. Zelenskiy underscored the importance of striking Russian aircraft and airfields to prevent further attacks on Ukrainian cities, highlighting Russia's extensive use of missiles and air-guided bombs throughout the conflict.