Ukraine tightens grip in Russia's Kursk; Germany slashes military aid to Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (August 17)saidthat his army is "strengthening" their positions in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine has been conducting a major ground offensive for over 11 days.

His remarks followed Moscow's accusation that Kyivhad destroyed a key bridge in the border region, as part of Ukrainianefforts to disrupt supply lines and troop movements in the area.

Russian officials accuseUkraine of targeting keybridge

On Friday (August 16), Russian officials accused Ukraine of targeting a strategically important bridge in the Kursk region, close to the ongoing conflict. The region's governor, Alexei Smirnov, stated that the bridge, located in the Glushkovsky district about 11 kilometres (seven miles) from the border, had been destroyed.

Aerial footage released by Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk appeared to show the bridge being struck by a high-speed projectile, collapsing in a cloud of smoke. "Ukrainian pilots are executing precise strikes on enemy strongholds, equipment concentrations, as well as on enemy logistics centers and supply routes," he said on Telegram.

Germanyto cutmilitary assistance to Kyiv by half in 2025: Report

Germany, the second-largest donor of aid to Ukraine, plans to cut its bilateral military assistanceby half in 2025, according to a report by news agency AFP citinga parliamentary source on Saturday.

Instead, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government plans to rely on funds generated from frozen Russian assets to continue supporting Ukraine, with no plans for additional aid beyond the four billion euros ($4.4 billion) already allocated in next year's budget. This year's aid from Berlin reportedly totalled eight billion euros.

To make up for the difference, Germany is looking to create a financial instrument using frozen Russian assets within the framework of the G7 and the European Union, thefinance ministry source told AFP.

Russiacaptures another village

On Friday, Russia claimed its forces had captured another village near Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian-held logistics hub that is crucial for supplying troops and towns along the eastern front.

Russian forces have been slowly advancing towards the town for months reportedlycapturing a series of small villages in recent weeks.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)