Ukraine's "toughest" brigade operates in Russia's Kursk region — Forbes

Forbes reported the information.

“A video that circulated on social media on Thursday depicts a T-64BV or T-80BV tank, a UR-77 mine-clearing vehicles, an IMR-2 engineering vehicle plus BTR-80 and U.S.-made Stryker wheeled armored personnel carriers rolling past a busy Ukrainian mortar crew,” the statement said.

Only the 80th Air Assault Brigade operates such a combination of former Soviet and American equipment, the statement adds.

Journalists emphasize that the involvement of the 80th Air Assault Brigade in the operation in the Kursk region highlights the scale of the operation.

In addition, two more brigades with up to 2,000 troops each are involved in the operation: the 22nd and 88th Mechanized Brigades.

What is known about cross-border raid in Russia’s Kursk region

On August 6, the authorities of Russia's Kursk region stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly tried to break through the Russian border, but were allegedly pushed back. Later, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that "the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group retreated to its territory.”

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate refused to comment on the statements regarding the Kursk region. However, NV media, citing its own source in Ukrainian intelligence, wrote that the events in the Kursk region "definitely did not involve fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps, who are fighting as part of Ukraine's Armed Forces.”

The Institute for the Study of War noted that the Russian Defense Ministry, acting governor of the Kursk region Alexei Smirnov, and some propagandists have different versions of the events in the Kursk region.

On August 7, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin convened the Russian military leadership to discuss the situation in the Kursk region, which he called a "large-scale provocation." At the time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the international community to "strongly condemn the Kyiv regime's criminal attacks on Russian territory."

On August 8, Rosgvardia announced that it had taken additional security measures at the Kursk NPP to protect the "particularly important facility."

The Washington Post writes that Ukraine has taken control of the gas metering station in Sudzha, Kursk region. So far, Russia has claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have occupied several border villages and part of the town of Sudzha.

Deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that the events in the Kursk region "are consistent with U.S. policy" and do not cause an escalation.