Victory Chronicles-DAY 908

Residents of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, have a maximum of two weeks to evacuate as Russian forces are approaching the area. The pace of evacuation has increased, with 500 to 600 people leaving the city daily. Local authorities are urging residents to leave now while they can still do so in a controlled manner. All services and agencies are operational in Pokrovsk, including water, electricity, gas, public transport, shops, markets, banks, courts, the State Migration Service, and the Center for Administrative Services. However, these operations are predicted to be gradually curtailed over the coming week. The head of the Pokrovsk city military-civilian administration also foresees that the forced evacuation of children in the city will begin this week. Before the war, there were 13,700 children in Pokrovsk.

Denmark has announced a new aid package worth 783 million Danish kroner ($115 million) to support Ukraine’s short- and long-term military needs. The Danish Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, emphasized the importance of Denmark’s continued support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russia’s violent attacks. The aid package includes financial contributions to the industrial pool, which will be increased by DKK 300 million ($44 million) in 2024. This pool is intended for the procurement of defense equipment to meet Ukraine’s military support requirements. Additionally, DKK 112 million ($16 million) will be reserved in 2024 to finance donations through the Ukrainian defense industry. Denmark has been a consistent and significant supporter of Ukraine, and this twentieth military assistance package further demonstrates their commitment to providing much-needed weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

Enemy fire has caused several fires in the Kherson Oblast​​. Over the past day, rescuers have attended to a total of 7 fires. Among these fires, 2 were caused by enemy shelling, while the rest were likely accidental or natural. Firefighters were able to successfully extinguish all seven fires, two of which occurred in outbuildings and five in ecosystems. Ecosystem fires accounted for a total area of over 4 hectares. 

Commander of the Air Force Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk thanked the pilots for the operation to destroy another bridge in the Kursk region. “The Air Force aviation continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with precision air strikes, which significantly affects the course of combat operations!” Mykola Oleshchuk commented on the operation.

The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast continues to force Russia to redeploy forces from elsewhere in the theater, and likely subsequent phases of fighting within Russia will require more Russian manpower and materiel commitments to the area. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on August 17 that a source familiar with the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast stated that Russian forces had redeployed “several” understrength brigades totaling 5,000 personnel from elsewhere in Ukraine to Kursk Oblast by midweek from August 6 to 13.

WSJ’s source stated that Russian forces redeployed an understrength brigade from Donetsk Oblast, possibly referring to elements of the Donetsk People’s Republic [DNR] “Pyatnashka” Brigade, which ISW observed arriving in Kursk Oblast around August 8 alongside other smaller Russian irregular units from Donetsk Oblast. Elements of the Russian 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade (14th Army Corps, Leningrad Military District [LMD]) also arrived in Kursk Oblast as of August 15, and ISW has observed elements of the brigade fighting near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast in recent months.

The WSJ’s report of 5,000 Russian personnel partially coheres with a report that Russian forces had redeployed up to 11 battalions to the frontline in Kursk Oblast as of August 11.[12] The Russian “Tigr” Battalion of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District [EMD]) announced on August 17 that elements of the battalion are deploying to Kursk Oblast, and ISW observed elements of the “Tigr” Battalion operating near Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast as of July 31. Russian forces have redeployed additional forces to Kursk Oblast since the first week of the Ukrainian incursion and have likely redeployed more than 5,000 personnel to Kursk Oblast overall.

Russian redeployments have allowed Russian forces to slow initially rapid Ukrainian gains in Kursk Oblast and start containing the extent of the Ukrainian incursion, but containment is only the first and likely least resource-intensive phase of the Russian response in Kursk Oblast. Russian forces will likely launch a concerted counteroffensive effort to retake territory in Kursk Oblast that Ukrainian forces have seized, although it is too early to assess when Russian forces will stop Ukrainian advances in Kursk Oblast completely and seize the battlefield initiative to launch such an effort. This likely future Russian counteroffensive effort will very likely require Russia to commit even more manpower, equipment, and materiel to Kursk Oblast. WSJ reported that its source familiar with the Ukrainian operation stated that Ukrainian forces have up to 6,000 personnel within Kursk Oblast and that Russian forces will need substantially more personnel, possibly 20,000, to retake territory in the area. The exact amount of manpower and materiel Russia will need to bring to bear in Kursk Oblast to conduct sustained counteroffensive operations that push Ukrainian forces back across the border will depend on how heavily Ukrainian forces defend occupied positions within Russia.

Junior Sergeant Oleh Tymonin, with the call sign Starshyna, died on May 21, 2023, near the village of Ivanivske, Donetsk Oblast. While performing a combat mission, he was fatally wounded by an enemy air strike. Next month, on June 25, the warrior would have turned 53.

Oleh was born in Ostroh, Rivne Oblast, but he lived in Kyiv. He graduated from Drahomanov State University with a degree in Defectology and Oligophrenic Pedagogy. In civilian life, he worked as the director of the private enterprise “Rychta,” specializing in fire, rescue, and protective equipment. In his leisure time, he loved to read and play sports. In particular, he was fond of mountain tourism.

With the outbreak of full-scale war, the man defended the capital by joining the ranks of volunteers. He served in the 241st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was commander of a reconnaissance unit and a reconnaissance platoon.

The fighter received the insignia “For Exemplary Service” and posthumously the Order “For Courage” III class.

“He was a wise and strong man. A man with a capital M, who many people trusted. He was a wonderful father to his children, his daughter Maria and son Roman, who cared about their future. When he went to the war, I was terrified of losing him, but I always understood and supported him because I saw how important it was to him. I refused to leave the country because I wanted to be with him. Oleh was a deeply motivated person who was not afraid to die… We formed a powerful mental bond. Since his mission in eastern Ukraine and at the beginning of the invasion of Kyiv, our communication was often limited to one important and short text message or emoticon… On 21.05 at 7:48 am, he got in touch and said for the last time: “My love, I love you”… He said these words before going on a mission. On the same day, he died… He was considered missing, but I already knew he was dead,” said the deceased’s wife, Hanna.

Oleh was buried at the Berkovetsky cemetery in Kyiv. The defender is survived by his wife Hanna, daughter Maria, and son Roman.

*Oleh’s story on the Heroes Memorial is a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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