Image from video shows Russia destroying a Ukrainian vehicle in Kursk province. (Russian Defense Ministry )

Russia's Sputnik news agency reported the move on August 9. Earlier on August 6, the Russian military said that Ukrainian forces had flooded into the Kursk region, deploying about 1,000 troops, more than 20 armored vehicles and tanks.

On August 8, Russian media reported that the country's military (VS RF) destroyed an enemy command post in Kharkov province, killing three Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) - including Generals Mikhail Drapaty, Andrey Gnatov and Volodymyr Gorbatyuk - as well as the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr Pivnenko.

According to the Iznanka telegram channel, these four generals were the commanders of the Sudzha operation that attacked Kursk province. The Mash, Iznanka and Russian News channels confirmed that on the night of August 6 and early morning of August 7, VS RF used two Iskander missiles to destroy the VSU command post, killing 20 soldiers and injuring 14 others.

Video footage of the attack on the VSU headquarters in Kharkiv province, where Ukrainian generals were believed to be present at the time, was posted online. The video was filmed using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and is thermal imaging.

Images show flames rising at the site of the former command post of a missile-artillery regiment in Malinovka, now destroyed.

Meanwhile, on the Ukrainian side, on August 9, military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk - also known as a military analyst at the Rybar Center, said that Ukrainian military units continued to expand their control zone in the Sudzhansky district of Kursk province, up to 30 km.

According to him, the Ukrainian army is advancing rapidly along troop movements routes, avoiding pockets of resistance from the Russian army.