RIGHT SPEAK: UKR, Stuns RU in Cross-Border Assault; UKR Makes Major Gains Inside RU On Day 3 Of Kursk Invasion; UKR Enters RU, Taking Territory and Prisoners; 1st Invasion of Russia Since World War II; Zelensky: RU Must Feel War Consequences; 78 C-Clashes On F-Line, LIVE UPDATES, DETAILS, and LOTS MORE

Ukraine, powered by Western arms, stuns Russia in cross-border assault:

Ukrainian troops battled for a third day Thursday in Russia’s Kursk region, occupying villages and part of a town, in what has become the Western-backed military’s largest cross-border incursion since the Kremlin’s invasion in 2022.

U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials all acknowledged the ongoing attack, which stunned Moscow and appeared to involve the use of armored fighting vehicles donated to Kyiv by the United States and its European partners — a development that drew no immediate objection from the Biden administration despite its past restrictions on such use of American weaponry.

The surprise assault on Kursk, about 330 miles south of Moscow, seemed designed to bring the war home to Russia, where many do not feel any direct impact of a conflict that has destroyed many Ukrainian cities and towns and displaced millions. It also may be intended to divert Russian troops from other locations along the front, where Ukraine’s military has steadily lost ground in recent months. Analysts suggested Kyiv could be trying to gain leverage for any future negotiations with the Kremlin.

While previous offensives into Russia were led by volunteer militant groups opposed to President Vladimir Putin but not formally affiliated with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, this attack appears to involve several thousand troops, including some from elite assault brigades equipped with U.S. and German vehicles and tanks. They crossed the border Tuesday from Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, according to Russian officials and pro-war military bloggers.

The Biden administration said Thursday that the operation is an acceptable use of U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia, conforming with a May policy change that allows Ukrainian commanders to pursue targets there if Russian forces are preparing to launch attacks into Ukraine.

“As they see attacks coming across the border, they have to be able to have the capabilities to respond,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters during a news briefing.

German officials struck a similar tone. A defense ministry spokesman told The Washington Post that Berlin’s declared aim is to “support Ukraine in its defensive struggle against the Russian aggressor,” and pointed to past statements asserting Ukraine’s “right under international law to defend itself against these attacks.” --->READ MORE HERE

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Ukrainian Forces Make Major Gains Inside Russia On Day Three Of Kursk Invasion:

Ukraine is continuing to pour troops and equipment into Russia as it sees success in its bold but risky operation in Kursk.

Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s Kursk region, now in its third day, appears to be gaining steam. A source with direct knowledge of the operation told The War Zone that at least 2,000 Ukrainian troops have been deployed with more pouring in every day.

While the Russian Defense Ministry continues to maintain that its troops are holding the line against this offensive, some Russian military war correspondents say Ukrainian forces are fighting 20 miles north of the border, digging in at some locations and building up a logistics network to maintain the flow of personnel and equipment.

More video emerged of Ukrainian forces inside Kursk in vehicles bearing the distinctive white triangle, a symbol for this operation.

Kursk region 🫡🇺🇦

"Despite the complexity of the tasks, we continue our glorious path. The Russian demoralized coward who only fights with missiles against children and does not drag us into a direct confrontation", - Ukrainian Militant pic.twitter.com/L0UWH9fPBR
— MAKS 24 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) August 8, 2024

Both sides are getting outside help, with former Wagner Private Military Company fighters aiding the Russians and Georgian Legion forces volunteering with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, as the invasion continues, the Pentagon wants to know more about its objectives, a spokesman told The War Zone Thursday morning.

Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, the Russian MoD said they have the situation under control.

“Units of the Sever Group of Forces along with units of the Russian Federal Security Service continue to eliminate armed AFU formations in Sudzha and Korenevo districts of Kursk region immediately adjacent to the border between Russia and Ukraine,” the Russian MoD claimed on Telegram Thursday.

“Over the 24 hours, active actions of the State Border Covering Force along with border units, reinforcement units and arrived reserves, air and missile strikes, and artillery fire prevented the enemy from advancing. Fire damage is inflicted on the located [Armed Forces of Ukraine] manpower and hardware clusters. Attempts of separate units to get to the depth of territories in Kursk direction were foiled.” --->READ and WATCH MORE HERE