Fourth day of fighting in the Russian Kursk region. Russia accused Ukrainian soldiers of crossing the border into the Kursk region on Tuesday and launching a massive offensive. She declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region yesterday evening.

"Geolocated imagery shows that Ukrainian forces have continued to advance rapidly in Kursk Oblast and are reportedly present in areas 35 kilometers from the international border with Sumy Oblast," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest analysis.

Tactical Update 🧵 (1/12)

Geolocated footage and Russian claims indicate that Ukrainian forces continued rapid advances further into Kursk Oblast on August 8, and Ukrainian forces are reportedly present in areas as far as 35 kilometers from the international border with Sumy... https://t.co/9dC8Fg0eDe pic.twitter.com/krehj0KL6c

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 9, 2024

Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian army's general staff, ignored warnings from intelligence services that Ukrainian troops were concentrating near the border with the Kursk region, Bloomberg reported, citing a source close to the Kremlin. Gerasimov was allegedly informed about the concentration of Ukrainian troops two weeks ago. Kremlin sources claim that Putin was furious at this oversight by the Russian General Staff.

After the incursion, Gerasimov assured members of the Russian Security Council via video link that the advance of Ukrainian soldiers who had penetrated deep into the Kursk region had been halted. According to Gerasimov, "enemy losses" amounted to 315 people, 54 armored vehicles were destroyed, including seven tanks.

As Gerasimov spoke about the Ukrainian losses, the camera captured Putin's face.

Watch Putin's face while Gerasimov speaks

"Ukrainian forces lost 54 armored vehicles and 7 tanks in the Kursk attack." pic.twitter.com/s5nvxjRgRo

— OSINTNic (@OSINTNic) August 7, 2024

Meanwhile, a video is circulating on social media of an alleged attack by a US M142 highly mobile artillery missile system, or HIMARS, on a Russian military column in the Rilsk district of Kursk, 30 kilometers east of Ukraine's Sumy region.

"A Russian military convoy was destroyed by the impact of Ukrainian HIMARS missiles near the village of Oktyabrskoye in the Rilsky district of the Kursk People's Republic," wrote Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov on Telegram. "The video was published by Russian news channels. It is a masterpiece of the Ukrainian intelligence service deep in the background of Putin's troops, the Ukrainian journalist wrote.

👀 Oktyabrsk, Rylsk District, Kursk Region

Russian column on fire 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/KHUZTNusiK

— MAKS 24 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) August 8, 2024