Big steps
Units of the 22nd Independent Mechanized Brigade entered the suburbs of Koreniewo from the east. The Ukrainians covered several kilometers during the day. Remnants of the 141st Chechen Special Motorized Regiment are expected to fight in the area. Kadyrov’s men are taken prisoner by the dozens.
The Russians defending Korenev have prepared short lines of trenches in the expected directions of attack, but it appears that their forces in the area are too small. The defenders are supported quite intensively by attack aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Russians make extensive use of glide and high-explosive bombs.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Air Force carried out strikes on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Mikhailovka, Korenev, Nikolayev-Daryn, Oleshnaya, Suja and Nikolaevka. Wherever the Russians conducted delaying battles, and the Ukrainians established staging points with serviceable ammunition and fuel depots.
In the direction of Igów, soldiers of the 82nd Independent Air Assault Brigade were stopped in front of the urban settlement Kromskie Byki. Ukrainian and Russian sources based on geolocation determined that the landing forces were trying to bypass the Russian positions through the village of Kauchuk, located southwest of Kromskie Byki.
The 88th Independent Mechanized Brigade, moving along the R-200 highway straight to Kurs, bypassed the Russian positions near the village of Bolshoye Soldatskoye and is approaching Skorodnoye. In turn, the situation near the town of Bełica is not entirely certain. According to local residents, Ukrainian armored vehicles were seen near the village of Piszczane. This may mean that the Ukrainians are trying to bypass the Russian positions.
Evacuation
The Russians are evacuating residents from areas on the front line. In total, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, there are 400 temporary accommodation centers ready to accept refugees, with a total capacity of 30,000 people.
There are currently around 8,000 people staying in temporary accommodation centres, including more than 2,000 children. The people are being housed in 120 temporary centres in nine regions of the Central Federal District.
Interestingly, currently about 50 psychologists from the Russian Emergencies Ministry and social work specialists have been assigned to work on providing psychological support to victims. This is an unusual situation because soldiers returning from the front with injuries are deprived of such care.
Russian Volkssturm
Reinforcements brought in from all over the area that could seal the defense lines have not yet arrived. The main burden of the fighting still falls on the units of the Border Protection Service of the Federal Security Service and the Russian Guard, which do not have adequate training and equipment to oppose the Ukrainian troops.
In cities located in the main directions of the attack, the Russians have begun to organize volunteer units tasked with helping the city security services maintain order at humanitarian aid points and temporary residence centers. Armed volunteers, together with employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are also taking part in patrolling the streets.
One such unit is commanded by special forces veteran Sergei Yevdokimov, known for recording propaganda speeches on social media. Now he encourages “healthy, patriotic men” to join volunteer units.
Such spontaneous units are created due to the shortage of personnel in the services. Police officers begin to be sent to the front, as well as conscripts in training and even aviation technicians. The defense of the Kursk Oblast is extremely chaotic, and even soldiers from the rear units – logisticians, cooks and clerks – are slowly arriving at the front.
