Ukrainian-Russian war. Day 894:
During the last hours the Ukrainian military launched a border military operation across the Sumy oblast to the Russian territory of Kursk. After several hours of fighting the situation around the border localities is diffuse and dynamic, but several of these villages (Nikolaevo-Dar'ino, Dar'ino, Sverdlikovo, Oleshnya and Gogolevka) are at least out of Russian control or surrounded by Ukrainian troops that have not yet been expelled from Russian territory.
This operation has nothing to do with the previous operations that the Ukrainian command had previously carried out in which they supported Russian nationalist contingents in an attempt to penetrate Belgorod and Kursk. In this case a large number of Ukrainian soldiers participate in the attack, which has been well planned in the previous months and has caused important losses of the Russian soldiers around the locality of Sudzha.

Ukraine appears to be putting up very strong resistance in Kostyantynivka. The Russians advance rate is averaging 40 metres per day here, much less than I would've expected.

It seems that Russia might be trying to bypass the industrial area. The industrial area is right in the way of an encirclement of the 2015 fortifications.

The US and the UK are targeting reported Houthi positions with airstrikes in the Taiz Governorate of Southwestern Yemen.

I have a feeling that after this Kursk incursion, a Russian invasion of Sumy Oblast will be imminent.

After nearly 2 months of intense urban warfare, the TNLA rebels reportedly finally seized control over the remaining parts of the town of Kyaukme in eastern Myanmar.

Map by @Myanmarwarmap on twitter

Geolocated footage indicates that Russian forces captured the residential part of Nevelske. Ukrainian forces responded by heavily shelling these new Russian positions.

Russian forces likely advanced up the two main streets in the village, and fighting is probably ongoing for the treeline that separates the residential area and the agricultural buildings.

Yesterday, Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as the new head of its political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh following his assassination by Israel.

Sinwar is known for his involvement in the planning of the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Russian source on Kursk Oblast: “The situation is difficult but controllable”.

Explosions in Ukraine & Russia over the past 24 hours - 6-7th of August 2024:

Explosions in Ukrainian-held territory:
Sumy (Shaheds, KABs and Iskanders)
Kharkiv (KABs)
Pavlohrad (Shaheds)
Pokrovsk (FABs)
Kherson (FABs)
Mykolaiv (Shaheds)
Kaniv (Shaheds)
Cherkasy (Shaheds)
Bila Tserkva (Shaheds)
Starokostyantyniv (Shaheds)
Vinnytsia (Shaheds)

Explosions in Russian-held territory:
Donetsk city (MLRS)
Kursk (UAVs)
Kurchatov (MLRS)
Lgov (MLRS)
Sudzha (MLRS)
Korenevo (MLRS)
Rylsk (MLRS)

Disclaimer:
These explosion reports do not include shellings. They only include Missiles, FABs (for certain places), KABs, Shaheds, UAVs and MLRS.

Ukrainian sources reported that Ukrainian forces captured Oleshnya in Kursk Oblast. This is currently unconfirmed, but if true, it would indicate that Ukraine is trying to thicken the flanks of the spearhead to Sudzha.

A Russian source reported that Ukrainian forces seized the Russian fortification in the red along with everything else in the green polygon, including the village of Nizhnii Klin.

There are unconfirmed reports of fighting inside Sudzha following Russian reports that Chechen Akhmat forces abandoned their positions.

Explosions in Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast.

Update from Kursk Oblast:

Ukrainian forces likely continue to make significant progress in Kursk Oblast, advancing as far as 11km into Russian territory. The main axis of attack is in the direction of the town of Korenevo, where - according to Russian sources - Ukrainian forces have seized 10 villages. There are also reports that Ukraine entered the village of Lebedevka, but do not control it yet.

One of the reasons for the quick Ukrainian advance is the fact that they are advancing downhill from their high-ground positions in Sumy Oblast. This is also why most, if not all of their attack vectors are heading north/northwest/northeast. There are significant heights further north, so I expect the Ukrainian advance will slow significantly in the coming days.

Another reason is likely the lack of Russian air support here. Ukrainian forces reportedly brought in lots of air defence with them, which prevents Russian aircraft from flying close to them, or forces them to fly too low for them to be very useful.

Meanwhile on the Sudzha axis, Ukrainian forces reportedly encircled Russians in the village of Oleshnyi, with no escape routes out of the village. Ukraine is also advancing along the highway to the western suburbs of Sudzha. As for Sudzha itself, the town is reportedly being prepared for battle.

Russian sources are reporting that a counterattack is being prepared.

Overall, this incursion appears to be larger than anyone - including me - expected it to be.

Colours for the map:
Blue = Confirmed Ukrainian control.
Green = Likely Ukrainian control.

A Ukrainian source reported that Russian forces are sending reinforcements over the Siversky Donets canal and are accumulating in the basements of houses.

Situation in Syria - Deir Ezzor:

Under the cover of artillery and mortar shells, Syrian government forces and their militias, supported by Iranian-backed groups launched a series of attacks over the Euphrates River. Violent clashed erupted in Theban and Diban on the eastern bank of the river, and Syrian government forces reportedly seized a number of positions.

The SDF (Syrian democratic forces) who are defending against the attacks imposed a complete curfew in the towns of Granij, Al-Kashkiya and Abu Hamam in Deir Ezzor countryside, coinciding with the launch of a large-scale combing campaign in search of local gunmen. It is reported that 2 civilians were killed as a result. These bombings indicates that Syrian government forces likely exercise a level of control over these towns.

Map from @Suriyak_maps

NAFOs are posting maps for the first time ever and getting tens of thousands of views. I wonder why...

Sumy Oblast has been under an air raid alert for over 25 hours.

Iranian Media: "Due to the large military maneuver; airlines are advised to avoid our airspace in the coming hours."