Russia-Ukraine war: Key events of day 903 | Latest news

War Developments: Ukraine Takes Control Over Russian Territory

On Friday, August 16, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine has gained control of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region after a surprise attack that started on August 6. The conflict has been ongoing for 903 days and Ukraine’s forces have advanced 35km into Russian territory, capturing 82 settlements and 1,150 square kilometers.

Fighting

• Ukraine’s military has pushed forward by 1.5km in the last 24 hours.
• Recent developments include the capture of 102 Russian soldiers and the evacuation of over 120,000 residents in the Kursk region.
• Russia is reinforcing its border defenses and sending additional forces in response to the incursion.

Politics and Diplomacy

• A dual US-Russian citizen was sentenced to 12 years in jail in Russia for donating to a charity aiding Ukraine.
• Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko urged Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the war.

Weaponry

• The UK has allowed Ukraine to use British weapons, including Challenger 2 tanks, in the conflict.