Frontline report: Ukrainian forces break through Russia’s strategic village Korenevo in Kursk Oblast

Day 905

On 25 August, there are a lot of updates from the Kursk direction.

In a decisive maneuver, Ukrainian forces initiated a series of flank attacks around Korenevo, forcing Russian troops to scatter and weaken their defenses.

Seizing the moment, they launched a sudden, powerful assault on Korenevo, catching the Russians off guard and breaking into the town.

Following recent territorial gains near Korenevo, Ukrainian forces have been stalled on both the northern and southern flanks of the town. To the northeast, around the recently captured villages of Olgovka and Matveevka, Ukrainian troops faced obstacles due to the natural barrier posed by the Krepna River and its reservoirs. This terrain advantage enabled Russian forces to strengthen their defensive positions, making it more difficult for Ukrainian forces to advance north.

The village of Zhuravli, captured during earlier Ukrainian offensives, lies north of the Krepna River. This location was a strategic advantage for the Ukrainians, as it allowed them to maintain a bridgehead across the river, facilitating potential assaults that could bypass the main Russian defenses positioned near Olgovka.

However, Zhuravli’s limited infrastructure restricts the Ukrainian ability to support a large-scale assault force capable of overwhelming Russian defenses along the river.

At the same time, Russian forces in the area lack sufficient troops to mount a counterattack against the Ukrainian bridgehead at Zhuravli. Given the challenging circumstances, the Ukrainian objective in this area is to outflank the Russian defenses along the Krepna River and break through their positions in Durovka, Zhebolovka, and Vetreno villages.

The area between these villages consists of wide open fields with no significant Russian defenses, leaving the town as the last organized line of resistance. By securing these villages, Ukrainian forces could execute a flanking maneuver to the north, advance toward the town, and bring the battle directly to Korenevo.

To achieve this, Ukrainian forces must expand their bridgehead north of the Krepna River, which requires intensifying their offensive efforts toward the town of Kauchuk. The Ukrainians are targeting the villages south of Kauchuk to stretch Russian defenses along the Krepna River and link up with the bridgehead at Zhuravli.

By doing so, Ukrainian command could reinforce the bridgehead with additional troops, paving the way for a final push north toward Korenevo. Unlike Korenevo and its flanks, the area around Kauchuk is less heavily defended by Russian forces due to a shortage of combat-ready troops in Kursk, with most of their focus concentrated on Korenevo.

In the Kauchuk region, the Russians rely on a limited number of naval infantry units spread thin across the area to engage in skirmishes with Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Beyond these scattered marines, the Russians lack an organized line of defense in this sector, making it vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks and potential deep strikes into their rear.

Combat footage from the region shows a group of Ukrainian fighters dismounting from a Stryker vehicle after successfully engaging Russian forces deep behind enemy lines. One of the fighters later shared footage of a neutralized Russian soldier inside an intact UAZ truck equipped with electronic warfare systems.

These systems are typically deployed in rear areas to protect frontline troops from drone strikes, confirming that Ukrainian forces managed to penetrate deep into Russian-held territory.

By exploiting these Russian vulnerabilities and deploying assault units strategically, Ukrainian forces successfully captured the village of Semyonovka. Controlling Semyonovka has effectively encircled the settlement of Sheptukhovka, putting it in a precarious position.

The fall of Sheptukhovka would enable Ukrainian forces to link up with the fighters at the Zhuravli bridgehead, reinforcing their position and supporting further offensive operations.

Russian defenses on the southern flank of Korenevo were as weak as on the northern flank due to the concentration of most troops within the town itself. Ukrainian forces exploited these vulnerabilities and captured the villages of Apanasovka and Troitske while consolidating control over Krasnoktyabrske. Securing Apanasovka and Troitske allowed the Ukrainians to fortify their southern flank and advance from Krasnoktyabrske into the forests south of Korenevo.

Due to the growing threat on the town’s flanks, the Russian command decided to redeploy troops from Korenevo to reinforce these vulnerable positions and halt the Ukrainian advance. Believing that the main Ukrainian assault front against Korenevo had lost its combat effectiveness after days of stalemate, the Russian command assessed it was safe to shift forces away from the town.

Ukrainian fighters in front of Korenevo took the circumstances to their advantage and launched a powerful assault directly into the town. Geolocated footage shows that the Ukrainians entered the eastern part of the town, initiating the Battle for Korenevo.

Overall, the Ukrainians noticed Russian weak spots on the flanks of Korenevo and carefully exploited them to shatter Russian defenses. As a result, the Russian command weakened the town’s defenses to bolster the flanks, which allowed Ukrainian forces to launch an assault and enter Korenevo. The shortage of Russian reserves in the area proved decisive for the Ukrainian tactical gains. Consequently, Russian sources now claim that, under these circumstances, the loss of Korenevo is inevitable.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Read also:

• Frontline report: Strategic bridge destruction in Kursk Oblast cuts off thousands of Russians from retreat