Russian channels report that Ukrainian forces are using a large number of mine clearers, tanks, armoured vehicles, and are heavily utilising electronic warfare making most drones useless. In turn, long-range Russian weapons are reportedly being used to combat the Ukrainian movements. The vector of attack appears to be towards Bolshoe Soldatskoe from Martynovka.

Some channels are speculating that this is a diversionary assault, with another offensive set to take place towards Lgov (dotted arrow).

Air defence activity is reported in Kursk. There may have been HIMARS launches.

Ukraine is also apparently attacking towards Pushkarnoe, further south.

The threat of Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the areas previously mentioned has been cancelled.

2 Russian Tu-95MS aircraft are redeploying from Olenya air base in Murmansk Oblast to Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast, presumably to be equipped with Kh-101 cruise missiles. They will probably fly back to Olenya within the next 12-24 hours.

There are unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian forces have captured the village of Berdin, west of Bolshoe Soldatskoe in Kursk Oblast.

Another source denies these claims, stating that Ukraine has not yet entered Berdin, but is actively building up its forces. They state that Ukrainian infantry continues to be transferred by armoured fighting vehicles, which makes the situation very changeable.

They also further confirmed that Ukraine has tightly covered the area with electronic warfare (EW), rendering many of Russia's drones "useless". As a result, Russia is apparently carrying out "pinpoint strikes" on positions (likley forward troop deployment points) and equipment. The same source noted that the situation remains "tense".

Positive temperatures are expected in the border areas of Russia from Tuesday. Country roads and fields will become muddy again, which will undoubtably make Ukrainian mechanised assaults difficult.

The Ukrainian units involved in the offensive are reportedly the:

36th separate marine brigade
82nd separate assault brigade
47th separate mechanized brigade (I feel so sorry for the 47th)

In the backdrop of the new Ukrainian Kursk counteroffensive, Reports suggest that Russian forces have begun assault operations towards Malaya Loknya since this morning.

Malaya Loknya is a key Ukrainian-held stronghold in Kursk Oblast and is the primary defensive node in the northern part of the salient - essentially the main thing holding up the defence here.

Russia has been trying to take this town for weeks, with Ukraine offering fierce resistance, including counterattacks (specifically in and around the village of Kruglenkoe). They were also reportedly constructing defences southwest of Malaya Loknya.

It remains to be seen how effective these new waves of Russian assaults have been. The fog of war makes it difficult to determine who controls what in this local area, but if the Russians control Kruglenkoe, future attacks towards Malaya Loknya should be easier due to the topography of the area.

But hey, at least twitter "experts" will have something new to rave on about for the next few weeks.

The first footage has been released of a Ukrainian column trying to advance in Kursk Oblast.

I believe this is in the Berdin area.

Russian forces are apparently attacking towards the state border with Ukraine in Sumy Oblast.

It's not yet known if this is just another attack on Ukrainian-controlled Kursk Oblast, or if it's an assault directly into Sumy. I'm more inclined to believe the former as there were reports of Russian assault operations on Malaya Loknya which I reported on earlier.

Threat of Iskanders from Kursk

Confirmed to be near Malaya Loknya.