breastfeeding travel system

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Travel Recommendations for Nursing Families

Continue breastfeeding your baby or expressing milk when traveling.

Traveling with a Breastfeeding Baby

The thought of traveling with your breastfeeding baby can feel overwhelming, but breastfeeding provides several benefits to parents and children traveling together. Breastfeeding can provide a source of comfort for babies whose normal routine is disrupted due to travel. In addition to providing the ideal nutrition for your baby, breast milk keeps babies hydrated. Breastfed babies under 6 months do not need to drink water or any other liquids, even in hot weather.

By planning ahead, you can successfully continue to nurse and/or express milk for your baby.

• Nurse your baby during takeoff and landing when traveling by airplane. This will help to protect your child from ear pain due to cabin pressure changes.
• Feed your baby on demand. The best way to maintain your milk supply is to breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry.

Traveling Without a Breastfeeding Child

If you are traveling without your child and plan on continuing breastfeeding, you will need to take certain steps to maintain your milk supply. Working with a lactation support provider or pediatrician may also be helpful to plan for your specific situation.

Prior to departure

• Express breast milk in advance so that your child may continue to have your milk while you are apart.
• Babies who have never drunk milk from a bottle or cup should practice with another caregiver.

While Traveling

• You have many options for what to do with your milk while traveling. You can express milk and store it, send it home, or “pump and dump” (throw it out).
• If storing and/or shipping breast milk is not possible, “pumping and dumping” can allow you to maintain your milk supply so that you can continue breastfeeding when reunited with your baby.

Expressing Milk

Maintaining a full milk supply can be a concern for many traveling parents. Here are some tips for preserving your milk supply while traveling:

• Take regular breaks to express your milk, as frequently as you would normally feed your baby, if possible.
• If you plan to use an electric breast pump, consider whether you will need an electrical adapter and converter.
• Plan for a back-up option (such as hand expression or a portable manual pump) to express milk if needed.
• Before expressing milk, make sure to wash your hands with soap and water. When soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be used.
• It is important to  keep your breast pump parts clean  while traveling. Plan in advance how to best keep your pump kit parts clean given your specific travel settings.
• If you need to pump milk while traveling by car, plane or other transportation, a manual or battery powered breast pump may be the best option. Some pumps can also be powered with car adapters.

Storing Milk

• Check with your hotel or lodging accommodations in advance to request a compact refrigerator for your room if needed.
• Store expressed milk in milk storage bags or clean food-grade containers with tight fitting lids made of glass or BPA-free plastic.
• Store milk in the back of the refrigerator or freezer where the temperature is more likely to stay constant.
• For additional storage options and information on how to properly thaw milk see Proper Storage and Preparation of Breast Milk .

Transporting Milk

• You can carry freshly expressed milk in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours. After arriving at your destination, use the milk right away, store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it.
• Keep in mind that previously frozen milk should be kept cold and used within  24 hours from the time it thaws completely . This will depend on the time spent traveling and the temperature of the cooler. If possible, check the milk after a few hours in the cooler to see if it has thawed.

Considerations for Air Travel

• The Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act and the Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act  require all small, medium, and large hub airports to provide a private, non-bathroom space in each terminal building for the expression of breast milk. Check the airport’s website to locate these spaces.
• Passengers can carry with them all expressed milk, ice packs, gel packs (frozen or unfrozen), pumps and pump kits, and other items required to transport expressed milk through airport security checkpoints and onboard flights.
• You do not have to be traveling with a baby to be able to carry milk and supplies.
• At the beginning of the screening process, inform the TSA officer that you are carrying expressed milk or related accessories, and separate them from other liquids, gels, and aerosols that are limited to 3.4 oz. (100 mL) each, subject to TSA’s Liquids Rule .
• Milk that has been X-rayed is safe to feed your child.
• Inform the TSA officer if you do not want your breast milk to be X-rayed or opened. Additional steps will be taken to clear the liquid. You or the traveling guardian will undergo additional screening procedures, to include Advanced Imaging Technology screening and additional/enhanced screening of other carry-on property.
• When traveling with expressed milk and related supplies, give yourself extra time at the airport to get through the airport security checkpoints.
• Having a printed copy of the  TSA regulations for expressed milk  may help the screening process.
• For more information on breastfeeding and international travel visit  CDC’s Yellowbook (Chapter 7) .

Getting Back to Your Breastfeeding Routine After Traveling

• Even if your milk supply begins to decrease while you are away from your breastfeeding child, you can continue breastfeeding when you return, and in most cases your milk supply will return to normal after several days.
• Occasionally, during long separations, babies who have adapted to using a bottle or cup may find it difficult to go back to breastfeeding. Support from a lactation support provider may be helpful if you experience breastfeeding challenges after reuniting with your baby.

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• Section 7 - Pregnant Travelers
• Section 7 - Traveling Safely with Infants & Children

Travel & Breastfeeding

Cdc yellow book 2024.

Author(s): Erica Anstey, Katherine Shealy

Travel with a Breastfeeding Child

Travel without a breastfeeding child, medications, vaccines & other exposures, breast pump safety.

The medical preparation of a traveler who is breastfeeding differs only slightly from that of other travelers and depends in part on whether the breastfeeding traveler and child will be separated or together during travel. Most travelers should be advised to continue breastfeeding their children throughout travel.

Before departure, travelers might benefit from compiling a list of local breastfeeding resources at their destination, to have on hand during travel. Clinicians and travelers can use the Find a Lactation Consultant Tool to find contact information for experts at their destination. Clinicians and travelers can use La Leche League International’s interactive map to find specific location and contact information for breastfeeding support group leaders and groups worldwide. Travelers who will need to store expressed milk while traveling can call ahead to their hotel or other place of lodging to request access to a refrigerator, if available.

Breastfeeding provides unique benefits to children while traveling. Explain clearly to breastfeeding travelers the value of continuing to breastfeed during travel. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding means feeding only breast milk, no other food or drink, which potentially protects children from contaminants and pathogens in foods or liquids. Additionally, feeding only at the breast protects children from potential exposure to contaminants on bottles, containers, cups, and utensils.

During the first 6 months, breastfeeding children require no water supplementation, even in extreme heat environments. Breastfeeding protects children from eustachian tube collapse and pain during air travel, especially during ascent and descent, by allowing them to stabilize and gradually equalize internal and external air pressure.

Frequent, unrestricted breastfeeding opportunities ensure that the lactating traveler’s milk supply remains sufficient, and that the child’s nutrition and hydration are ideal. Travelers concerned about breastfeeding away from home might feel more comfortable breastfeeding the child in a fabric carrier or by using a nursing cover. In many countries, breastfeeding in public places is practiced more widely than in the United States. US federal legislation protects parents’ and children’s rights to breastfeed anywhere they are otherwise authorized to be while on federal property, including US Customs areas, embassies, and consulates overseas. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, SEC. 722 states, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed her child  [PDF] at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location.”

Before departure, a breastfeeding person might decide to express and store a supply of milk to be fed to the child during the traveler’s absence. Building a supply takes time and patience, and is most successful when begun gradually, many weeks in advance of departure. Clinicians and others who provide lactation support should help travelers determine the best course for breastfeeding based on a variety of factors, including the amount of time available to prepare for the trip, the flexibility of time while traveling, options for expressing and storing milk while traveling, the duration of travel, and destination.

While away from the child, expressing milk can help the breastfeeding traveler maintain milk supply for when they return home. Expressing milk also can help avoid engorgement, which can increase the risk of developing a breast infection. Expressing milk by hand is a useful technique to learn prior to traveling because it does not require any equipment or a reliable power source. Hand expressing can be helpful when travelers need to express milk while in transit (e.g., on a bus, car, plane, train). Travelers intending to use breast pumps should plan to pack multiple breast pump kits if they anticipate being unable to clean individual pump parts after each use (see the section on breast pump safety later in this chapter). A nursing cover can provide some privacy when expressing milk.

Travelers who return to a nursing child can continue breastfeeding and, if necessary, supplement with previously expressed milk or infant formula until milk supply returns to its prior level. Often, after returning from travel, several days of feeding at the breast will help bring milk supply back to its prior level. Prolonged separation from the nursing child might, however, increase the difficulty and time it takes to transition back to breastfeeding. A lactation consultant can help address breastfeeding challenges after a traveler reunites with their child.

In almost all situations, clinicians can and should select medications and vaccines for the nursing traveler that are compatible with breastfeeding. In most circumstances, it is inappropriate to counsel travelers to wean to be vaccinated, or to withhold vaccination due to breastfeeding status.

Breastfeeding and lactation do not affect maternal or child dosage guidelines for any medication or vaccine; children always require their own medications and vaccines, regardless of maternal dose. In the absence of documented risk to the breastfeeding child associated with a particular maternal medication, the known risks of stopping breastfeeding generally outweigh a theoretical risk for exposure via breastfeeding.

Drugs & Chemicals

According to the AAP 2013 Clinical Report: The Transfer of Drugs and Therapeutics into Human Breast Milk, many parents are inappropriately advised to discontinue breastfeeding or to avoid taking essential medications because of fears of adverse effects on their breastfed infants. Only a few medications are contraindicated in people who are breastfeeding or are associated with adverse effects on their children.

The National Institutes for Health’s Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) is an online source for clinical information about drugs and chemicals to which breastfeeding travelers could be exposed. LactMed provides information about the levels of substances in breast milk and infant blood, potential effects on breastfeeding children and on lactation itself, and alternative drugs to consider.

Another resource, Hale’s Medications and Mothers’ Milk, is a regularly updated pharmaceutical reference guide that provides comprehensive, evidence-based information on the compatibility or effects of >1,300 drugs, diseases, vaccines, herbals, and syndromes on breastfeeding, and includes risk categories, pharmacologic properties, interactions with other drugs, and suitable alternatives. An online version is available by subscription and is printable.

MotherToBaby is a service of the nonprofit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) and provides evidence-based information on the safety of or risk from medications and other exposures during pregnancy and lactation. OTIS provides a free information and risk assessment service to mothers, health care providers, and the public via text, chat, phone, and email, in English and Spanish.

Malaria Chemoprophylaxis

Because chloroquine and mefloquine can be safely prescribed to infants, both are considered compatible with breastfeeding. Most experts consider short-term use of doxycycline compatible with breastfeeding. Primaquine can be used for breastfeeding people and for infants with normal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) levels, but screen both for G6PD deficiency before prescribing this drug. Because data are not yet available on the safety of atovaquone-proguanil prophylaxis in infants weighing <11 lb (5 kg), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend it to prevent malaria in people who are breastfeeding infants weighing <5 kg (see Sec. 5, Part 3, Ch. 16, Malaria , for more information).

The quantity of antimalarial drugs transferred to breast milk is not enough to provide protection against malaria for the infant. Breastfeeding infants need their own antimalarial drug. See more information about malaria and breastfeeding .

Travelers’ Diarrhea Treatment

Exclusive breastfeeding protects children against travelers’ diarrhea (TD). Breastfeeding is ideal rehydration therapy. Children suspected of having TD should breastfeed more frequently and should not be offered other fluids or foods that replace breastfeeding. Breastfeeding travelers with TD should continue breastfeeding if possible, and increase their own fluid intake. The organisms that cause TD do not pass into breast milk.

Breastfeeding travelers should carefully check the labels of over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications to avoid using bismuth subsalicylate compounds, which can lead to the transfer of salicylate to the child via breast milk. Fluoroquinolones and macrolides, commonly used to treat travelers’ diarrhea, are excreted in breast milk. Consult with the breastfed child’s primary health care provider before deciding to prescribe antibiotics for breastfeeding travelers. Most experts consider the short-term use of azithromycin compatible with breastfeeding. Use of oral rehydration salts is fully compatible with breastfeeding.

Vaccinations

Vaccinate breastfeeding travelers and children according to routine, recommended vaccine schedules. Most live and inactivated vaccines do not affect breastfeeding, breast milk, or the process of lactation. Only 2 vaccines, smallpox (vaccinia) and yellow fever, require special consideration. Preexposure smallpox vaccine is contraindicated in breastfeeding people because of the risk for contact transmission to the breastfed child.

Yellow Fever Vaccine

Breastfeeding is a precaution against administering yellow fever vaccine. Three cases of yellow fever vaccine–associated neurologic disease (encephalitis) have been reported in infants exclusively breastfed by people who received yellow fever vaccine. All 3 infants were aged <1 month at the time of exposure.

Until specific research data are available, avoid vaccinating breastfeeding travelers against yellow fever. When a breastfeeding person must travel to a yellow fever endemic area, however, vaccination should be recommended. Although no data are available, some experts advise that breastfeeding travelers who receive yellow fever vaccine should temporarily suspend breastfeeding, and pump and discard milk for ≥2 weeks after vaccination before resuming breastfeeding (see Sec. 5, Part 2, Ch. 26, Yellow Fever , for more information). Refer the traveler to a lactation support provider for information on how to maintain milk production and how to best feed the child while not breastfeeding; options include using previously expressed milk, pasteurized donor human milk, infant formula, or a combination of these.

CDC encourages people with Zika virus infection and those living in or traveling to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission to breastfeed their children. Evidence suggests that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of Zika virus transmission through breast milk .

Air travel should not be a barrier to breastfeeding or expressing breast milk. Being prepared and aware of available resources can help ease anxiety about traveling by air with breast milk, breast pump equipment, or a breastfeeding child.

Breast Pump Equipment & Breast Milk

Before departure, people who will be traveling by air and expect to have expressed milk with them during travel need to carefully plan how they will transport the expressed milk. Airport security regulations for passengers carrying expressed milk vary internationally and are subject to change.

In the United States, expressed milk and related infant and child feeding items are exempt from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations limiting quantities of other liquids and gels. Travelers can carry with them expressed milk, ice packs, gel packs (frozen or unfrozen), pumps and pump kits, and other accessories required to transport expressed milk through airport security checkpoints and onboard flights, regardless of whether the breastfeeding child is also traveling. At the beginning of the screening process, travelers should inform the TSA officer that they are carrying breastfeeding equipment, and separate the expressed milk and related accessories from the liquids, gels, and aerosols that are limited to 3.4 oz (100 mL) each, as subject to TSA’s Liquids Rule .

Breast pumps are medical devices regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and most airlines allow passengers to carry breast pumps on board in addition to other permitted carry-on items. Travelers can check the airline’s policies related to breastfeeding and breastfeeding equipment prior to travel.

X-rays used in airport screenings have no effect on breastfeeding, expressed milk, or the process of lactation. FDA states that no adverse effects are known from eating food, drinking beverages, or using medicine screened by x-ray. Travelers also should inform the TSA officer if they do not want expressed milk to be opened or irradiated in scanners. TSA officers might conduct additional screening procedures (e.g., pat down, and screening of other carry-on property). Travelers should plan for extra time at the airport to get through the airport security checkpoints when traveling with expressed milk and related supplies. Travelers might find that providing TSA officers with the related TSA regulations for expressed milk can help facilitate the screening process.

Travelers carrying expressed milk in checked luggage should refer to cooler pack storage guidelines on the CDC website, Proper Storage and Preparation of Breast Milk . Expressed milk is considered a food for individual use, and is not considered a biohazard. International Air Transport Authority regulations for shipping category B biological substances (UN 3373) do not apply to expressed milk.

Lactation Spaces

By 2023, all small, medium, and large hub airports in the United States are required by the Friendly Airports for Mothers Improvement Act (www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2638) to provide a clean, private, non-bathroom lactation space in each terminal for breastfeeding or expressing milk. Travelers can check the airport’s website to locate these spaces.

Packing & Shipping Breast Milk

Travelers shipping frozen milk should follow guidelines for shipping other frozen foods and liquids. Travelers planning to ship frozen milk might need to bring supplies (e.g., milk storage bags or resealable bags; paper lunch bags or newspaper for wrapping frozen milk; coolers; labels, packing tape, and shipping boxes; tongs or gloves for handling dry ice). Some shipping carriers provide temperature-controlled options that can be used for transporting expressed milk. Some employers will cover the cost of shipping expressed milk home for employees who are traveling for work. Travelers should make sure in advance that transporting expressed milk will meet customs regulations, because these can vary by country. Expressed milk does not need to be declared at US Customs upon return to the United States.

Travelers who plan to use an electric breast pump while traveling might need an electrical current adapter and converter, and should have a back-up option available, including information on hand expression techniques or a manual pump. Travelers using a breast pump should be sure to follow proper breast pump cleaning guidance to minimize potential contamination. See related guidance for cleaning infant feeding items (e.g., bottles and the nipples, rings, and caps that go with them).

Travelers should thoroughly wash hands with soap and water prior to pumping and handling expressed milk; if safe water is not immediately available, travelers can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing ≥60% alcohol. If travelers are unable to clean pump parts between uses, they should bring extra sets of pump parts (e.g., connectors, flanges, membranes, valves) to use until they are able to thoroughly clean used parts. Travelers also could consider packing a cleaning kit for breast pump parts, including a cleaning brush, dish soap, and portable drying rack or mesh bag to hang items to air dry.

The following authors contributed to the previous version of this chapter: Erica H. Anstey, Katherine R. Shealy

Bibliography

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) Protocol Committee. ABM clinical protocol #8: human milk storage information for home use for full-term infants, revised 2017. Breastfeed Med. 2017;12(7):390–5.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Travel recommendations for nursing families. Available from: www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/breastfeeding/travel-recommendations.html .

Fleming-Dutra KE, Nelson JM, Fischer M, Staples JE, Karwowski MP, Mead P, et al. Update: interim guidelines for health care providers caring for infants and children with possible Zika virus infection—United States, February 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(7):182–7.

Hale TW, Rowe HE. Medications and mothers’ milk, 17th edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company; 2017.

Kuhn S, Twele-Montecinos L, MacDonald J, Webster P, Law B. Case report: probable transmission of vaccine strain of yellow fever virus to an infant via breast milk. CMAJ. 2011;183(4):e243–5.

Sachdev HP, Krishna J, Puri RK, Satyanarayana L, Kumar S. Water supplementation in exclusively breastfed infants during summer in the tropics. Lancet. 1991;337(8747):929–33.

Sachs HC, AAP Committee on Drugs. The transfer of drugs and therapeutics into human breast milk: an update on selected topics. Pediatrics. 2013;132(3):e796–809.

Section on Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2012;129(3):e827–41.

Staples JE, Gershman M, Fischer M. Yellow fever vaccine: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2010;59(RR-7):1–27.

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Breastfeeding While Traveling: How to Pack, Pump, and Navigate Airport Security

Your guide to traveling while breastfeeding, whether you’re bringing baby or not..

Breastfeeding can be exhausting, and breastfeeding while traveling can be an even bigger challenge. But it can be done—easily and with very little hassle, in fact. Here’s everything you need to know about packing for breastfeeding and pumping, bringing breast milk through airport security or on the road, and shipping milk safely, regardless of whether you’re bringing baby with you or not. 

EVERYTHING ON HAND: The Complete Baby Packing List: What to Pack for Babies When You Travel

How to Fly with Breast Milk

If you’re wondering if you can fly with breast milk even with the TSA’s airport security liquid restrictions, the answer is yes. Here’s what (and how) to pack as well as what to expect at airport security when you’re flying with breast milk or planning to breastfeed while traveling.

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What to Pack for the Airport and Plane

Breast Pump Storage Bag: There are dozens of options available , and you don’t need to buy any one specific breast pump storage bag. All that matters is finding an appropriately sized bag that fits all of your breast pump parts and is comfortable to carry at the airport.

Breast Pump and Pump Parts: Triple-check you’ve packed all of your breast pump parts, including your breast pump charger. It may be helpful to pack extras of any essentials just in case anything gets lost in transit (and for extra peace of mind). 

Wet Bag: Pack a wet bag for dirty breast pump parts that you plan to clean when you arrive at your destination. The Skip Hop Waterproof Wet Dry Bag has worked well for me.

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Breast Milk Storage Bags: Be sure your milk storage bags are sealed as tightly as possible when traveling with breast milk. While the goal is for your milk to remain frozen during travel, the bags are prone to leaking as soon as the frozen milk begins to defrost. An insulated cooling bag—either a small one specifically for breastfeeding that you can stash in another bag, like the Medela Breast Milk Cooler and Transport Set —or any number of larger general purpose insulated bags if you’re bringing significant amounts of frozen breast milk are also helpful.

Breast Pads: Since you might go longer than usual without pumping, it’s a good idea to wear some disposable breast pads in case your breasts leak.

Breast Therapy Pads: Have some gel pads on hand in case you aren’t able to pump as soon as you’d like and your breasts begin to feel full and tender. Put them with your frozen milk (if packed) to keep them cold and ready for use in transit.

Nipple Cream: Don’t forget any comfort items you regularly use at home, such as nipple cream . 

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Breastfeeding Supplements: If you use Sunflower Lecithin or any other breastfeeding supplements you find helpful for boosting milk supply and maintaining milk production, be sure to pack them as well. 

Breastfeeding Cover-Up: I like the buttery softness of the KeaBabies Multi-Use Cover and the Copper Pearl Multi-Use Cover , both of which provide full coverage for breastfeeding while traveling. Their versatility makes them especially ideal for airports, road trips, and anywhere else you might find yourself while traveling. 

Best Breast Pumps for Travel

If you regularly use an electric pump, consider also bringing a manual pump or a battery-powered pump that can be charged in advance and packed in your carry-on bag. Your electric pump can then go in your checked luggage. Here are some great options to consider:

• Medela Harmony : A tried-and-true manual breast pump, the Medela Harmony is perfect for travel. 
• Motif Luna or Motif Duo : These breast pumps are battery powered, quiet and lightweight (so lightweight, in fact, that the Motif Duo weighs less than half a pound). 
• Elvie : This hands-free device comfortably fits right into your bra, allowing you to discreetly pump on the go. Willow and Freemie make similar options.

Of course, you can bring your electric pump on the plane and forgo the additional manual or battery-powered pump. These pumps are just bulkier and often trickier to use on the go.

Getting Through Airport Security with Breast Milk

Breast milk is not subject to the TSA’s 3.4-ounce liquid rule, which means you can bring breast milk in “ reasonable quantities ” through airport security and onto the plane, frozen or not, whether you are traveling with your baby or not. You will, however, need to remove any milk from your bag as it will need to be screened separately from the rest of your luggage. You can also bring ice packs through airport security, but if they aren’t frozen, they are subject to the 3.4-ounce rule.

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While the TSA may ask you to test your breast milk, you can refuse and have the security agent swab the outside of the milk, advises Katie Clark , a Certified Lactation Educator and Certified Breastfeeding Specialist I spoke with for this guide. Clark also recommends printing out the TSA guidelines for breast milk in case any questions arise during the screening process.

If you’re traveling with bagged or frozen breast milk, bring a cooler bag as your carry-on bag and use another bag, such as your purse or a backpack, as your personal item. A rolling cooler bag is a convenient and ergonomic option. Most airlines consider breast pumps to be medical devices, and they are permitted in your carry-on bag.

Breastfeeding at the Airport

It is legal to breastfeed anywhere you like at the airport or on the plane, with or without a cover. However, if you want a quieter and cleaner place, look for a lactation pod. Clark advises using the Mamava app to help you find a place near you to pump or nurse. “You can also look for dedicated breastfeeding rooms,” she says.

How to Drive with Breast Milk

If you’re breastfeeding on a road trip and you plan on pumping, a cooler is vital to store milk. To keep your milk frozen, “ brick it ” in gallon-size freezer storage bags. Stop to buy ice and add it to your cooler as needed. Bring resealable plastic bags to contain the ice and make it easy to swap out ice as needed.

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How to Ship Breast Milk

If you want to completely avoid flying or road tripping with breast milk, you can ship it to your destination. There are a few options for shipping breast milk:

• Milk Stork : Milk Stork is the only service solely dedicated to shipping breast milk. Everything can be done online, and Milk Stork ships all packaging essentials right to you. You can ship milk to your destination, and then back home if you have excess milk at the end of your trip.  
• FedEx : FedEx also provides shipping services for breast milk. You’ll need to place an order for a cold shipping box a few days in advance of departure, and then package and drop off your milk at a FedEx location. 

You can also seek breast milk donations ahead of your trip by visiting Human Milk 4 Human Babies and Eats on Feets on Facebook. These groups have state-specific pages where caregivers can look for milk, either by browsing recent posts or posting a request. Excess milk is donated free of charge by other members, and you can feel free to screen donations—ask question about the donor’s diet, current medications, etc.—to help ensure their milk is a good fit for your baby. Be wary of scams in which you’re asked to pay for the breast milk, however.

Whether you’re sticking to exclusive breastfeeding or use human milk in conjunction with infant formula, planning ahead will help smooth the way to a happy baby (and happy you) while traveling.

Where to Stay: Best Types of Accommodations for Breastfeeding While Traveling

If you’re traveling for vacation, consider booking a vacation rental instead of a hotel . At a rental property, you’ll have access to a full-size fridge and freezer for milk storage, whereas at most hotels you’ll only have access to a mini-fridge, which may or may not come fully pre-stocked.

If you’re traveling for work or a vacation rental isn’t an option at your destination, find out if your preferred hotel offers suites with full-size fridges with freezers. Alternatively, look for all-suite hotels that offer this option. Homewood Suites , Staybridge Suites , and Extended Stay America are all good options with refrigerators and freezers.

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Best Travel Systems for Parents Who Want a Car Seat + Stroller Combo

Travel systems—car seat + stroller combos—make getting out with your baby a lot easier., by jen labracio, cpst | medically reviewed by holly peretz ot.

When you’re ready to get out the door with your baby, a car seat and a stroller are key. Thanks to the genius who designed the first travel system―an infant car seat that attaches to a stroller―you can make one purchase and get both essentials. 

We’ve weighed feedback from thousands of Babylist families, spoken to several experts and tested dozens of car seat stroller systems over the years, and we think the Chicco Corso LE Modular Travel System is the best travel system for most families. It combines our top infant car seat pick, the KeyFit 35 , with the Corso LE stroller, creating a travel system that’s high-quality, easy to use and competitively priced.

And since we know parents shopping for a travel system often appreciate a good value, we’ve chosen three additional favorites in an affordable, mid-range and luxury price point so you can find the best combo for your budget and your lifestyle.

Why Trust Babylist?

Babylist is the expert in baby; we know baby gear inside and out. We talk with parents face-to-face in our showroom and on our user panels and hear from thousands of people annually via our Best Baby Products survey. We know what items millions of expecting parents are adding to their baby registries. 

I have over half a decade of experience with baby gear of all types, especially car seats and strollers. I’ve tested countless travel system combos both in my role as Babylist’s gear editor and as a mom of two young boys, ages ten and two. I also spoke with many industry and safety experts while writing this guide, including Joe Colella, the Director of Child Passenger Safety at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and 2020 Child Passenger Safety Hall of Fame Inductee, pediatrician Kelly Fradin , MD, FAAP and Courtney English , a pediatric occupational therapist. I also talked to a car seat safety expert, Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) Samantha Taylor of Mama Knows Car Seats . 

I interviewed Babylist Showroom Registry Consultants Tatyanna Hunter Jones and Pateel Markaradi, part of a trained team of experts who work on the Babylist Beverly Hills floor, answering questions daily about baby gear and helping parents-to-be build their baby registries. I also incorporated travel system feedback from thousands of parents through Babylist’s annual Best Baby Products survey of over 6,000 Babylist users and talked to parents at Babylist for their input.

The Best Travel Systems

Best Overall: Chicco Corso LE Modular Travel System

Best Affordable: Graco Modes Nest Travel System

Best Mid-Range: Nuna x Babylist PIPA urbn & TAVO Travel System

Best Luxury: UPPAbaby Aria Infant Car Seat & Vista V2 Stroller Travel System

How We Judged

Ease of use. Most parents choose a travel system for convenience. All of the car seat stroller systems on our list work seamlessly both together and on their own. 

Best of both worlds. Many travel systems on the market offer a great stroller but a not-so-great car seat—and vice versa. We chose car seat stroller systems with the best of the best in both categories.

Features. We focused on features like safety, ease of install, canopies, a multi-position seat, storage and recline options when choosing our best travel system picks. 

Value. Travel systems range from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand. We factored in cost while making our top choices to provide you with a solid option at any budget. 

Best Overall Travel System

Chicco Corso LE Modular Travel System - Veranda

• Car seat is a parent + safety expert favorite
• Slim car seat, works 3-across in most cars
• Stroller has great maneuverability + many high-end features (for a mid-range price)
• Rear suspension and rubber tires = smooth ride
• Car seat is heavier than some other options
• Stroller handlebar isn’t adjustable
• No snack tray or cup holder included

Most parents choose a travel system for two reasons: convenience and value. Chicco’s Corso Travel System checks both of those boxes—and more.

This travel system includes the KeyFit 35 infant seat, a popular parent and expert favorite and our top pick for best infant car seat . It’s “remarkably easy to install,” according to CPST Taylor, and fits babies of all sizes well. It also has high rear-facing height and weight limits, meaning you’ll be able to rear-face your little one longer than in many other car seats. (This is called “extended rear-facing,” and it’s a term you’ll likely come across as you research car seats.)

“According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing in a car seat for as long as possible,” explains Colella. “This recommendation is based on data showing that rear-facing seats offer better protection in crashes for children from birth through 23 months of age.”

The included stroller is just as praiseworthy. Every time I push it, I forget I’m not maneuvering a stroller that’s double the cost. That’s because of the many premium features like large, foam-filled tires and rear-wheel suspension for a smooth ride, a multi-position reclining seat, an adjustable canopy and footrest and leatherette trim. The seat is modular so you can face your baby toward you or out into the world. And the stroller seat is fully removable, turning it from a full-featured toddler stroller into a lightweight, skeleton frame that’s much easier to manage when you’re using it with just the infant car seat.

There aren’t many downsides to this travel system, especially considering the price. The few I’d note include that the car seat is on the heavier side (just over 10 pounds), which can make a difference when you’re getting it in and out of a car, and is a longer seat front-to-back, so fit could be an issue in more compact cars and/or if your front seat driver or passenger are tall. Speaking of tall folks (I’m 5’10”), the stroller doesn’t have an adjustable handlebar. And the storage basket has a 10-pound weight limit, which is lighter than most and isn’t ideal if you use your stroller for heavier items like groceries.

Real Parent Reviews

“This travel system has been so great, and is holding up well 8 months in. The car seat is really easy to adjust as baby has grown, and is so easy to install. And I love that the 35-pound weight limit means we’ll be able to have her rear-facing for longer. The stroller is the thing that I use the most, and it is one of the best pieces of baby gear we have. It’s super maneuverable and very easy to push one-handed. We walk every day in our city neighborhood with old broken sidewalks and the stroller handles all that terrain beautifully. The stroller can also be used comfortably by people of different heights. I’m 5’5” and my husband is 6’2” and we can both comfortably push the stroller. My husband doesn’t kick the stroller when he’s walking (something that I’ve read can be an issue for tall people with other strollers).” — Kate H

“As a CPST I trust Chicco and all of their products. The ease of the KeyFit35 install is to die for. The car seat also feels comfortable and sturdy. I also love this stroller! The one-hand fold and the sleek design. It looks beautiful with the flower-like wheels and leather handle. It’s also a beautiful color. I would recommend to anyone.” — Patience Mabin

“I get so many compliments on my Corso LE travel system. I love it so much… It is a smooth, stylish ride. My only conundrums are the following: I’m 62 inches tall (5ft 1.75in) and the handlebar is to my chest. I don’t mind it too much, but it would be nice if the handlebars were adjustable. I wish the storage basket supported a bit more weight. I haven’t had any issues yet, but the limit of 10 lbs is always on my mind while food shopping alone…Overall, definitely recommend this stroller. Very easy to fold and store. I love the handle it has, and it’s a great price.” — Ysa

Additional Specs

Best Affordable Travel System

Graco Modes Nest Travel System - Sullivan

• Good value considering safety + features
• Infant car seat is easy to install; also has anti-rebound bar
• Stroller includes bassinet mode
• Child snack tray and cup holder included
• Plastic wheels, no suspension system (rides can be bumpy)
• Self-standing fold only works when toddler seat is forward-facing
• Folding and unfolding take some getting used to

Affordability can be a roadblock with some travel systems. Even mid-priced systems average about $500, and many creep well over that mark. The Graco Modes Nest is our favorite for an affordable pick, coming in at under $400.

Like the Chicco system above, the car seat included with this travel system is a parent favorite from the brand’s SnugFit line, a line of seats known for their ease of install. “The SnugLock arm on the base makes installation in any vehicle an absolute breeze,” says Taylor. The seat weighs under 10 pounds and features an anti-rebound bar (a bar that reduces the movement of the car seat in the event of a crash, adding a layer of safety) and five recline positions for proper installation and a comfortable fit. It also has a high rear-facing weight and height limit.

The standout feature of the Modes Nest stroller is optionality. It’s three strollers in one, working as an infant car seat carrier (you can click the car seat directly onto the stroller frame), a bassinet (called a pram in this case) and a toddler stroller with the ability to flip the seat parent- or forward-facing. The bassinet is a noteworthy addition here. While babies sometimes fall asleep in an infant car seat, AAP safe sleep recommendations say you need to transfer them to a firm, flat sleep space as soon as possible. The bassinet mode in this stroller allows you to stroll safely while your baby snoozes and not worry about moving them from a car seat. The toddler seat also has three different height positions, a nice perk when your baby is parent-facing so you can keep them close. Especially considering the price, these are all impressive (and convenient) features.

The biggest downside of this travel system lies in the stroller. Like many lower-priced options, there isn’t much suspension and the stroller’s wheels are plastic, making for a bumpy ride over anything other than smooth pavement. (More expensive strollers will have foam or air-filled tires.) This wouldn’t be my pick if I lived in a more rural area with dirt or gravel paths or if I was in a big city with uneven sidewalks. Many parents also note that this travel system is a pain to put together. But for the right family, the Modes is a solid choice and a great value.

“The car seat was easy to install and feels very tight and secure with the added Snuglock feature. It easily adjusts its harness height with just the squeeze of a button and the carry bar can be adjusted with one hand as well. The shade cover comes down nice and far and has a very elegant look to it as well….The stroller is very beautiful and customizable. My favorite feature is the HUGE storage basket! That is a must for me…The sun shade on the toddler seat comes down nice and low and the seat reclines in multiple positions. The braking system was easy to push and lift. The stroller frame itself is lightweight and easy to stick in the trunk for an outing. It works very well with the car seat…The main problem I had with the stroller was that it cannot handle going over any type of lip or ledge in the sidewalk. If it hits a bump it jarringly stops and can not glide over it. It then has to be lifted over said bump which is not easy to do since the storage basket collapses and doesn’t give much foot levering support.” — Macai

“I’m tall and this stroller does not have me hunching over. I feel very comfortable pushing it around and the height adjustment on the seat is wonderful. Another bonus is that it is very sturdy and has decent-sized storage underneath. On the downside, sometimes it’s not a smooth action when folding it closed if the wheels are pointing a certain way.” — Jaymills

Best Mid-Range Travel System

Nuna Nuna x Babylist PIPA urbn & TAVO Travel System - Refined

• Baseless infant car seat with a quick, easy install
• Car seat weighs just 7 lbs
• 4-wheel stroller suspension = smooth ride
• Thoughtful stroller features: adjustable handlebar, breathable seat, magnetic buckles
• Car seat has lower height and weight limits compared to many infant seats
• Stroller seat isn’t reversible to be parent-facing
• Child snack tray sold separately

Coming in at just under $700, this travel system is on the pricier side of mid-range but I think worth the extra splurge. It combines a popular car seat and stroller into one beautiful, functional system. “Just stop stressing and get this one,” one Babylist parent commented. (And if you’re stacking it up against other Nuna travel systems, I agree. The urbn also comes paired with the MIXX stroller, but it’s almost double the cost and I don’t think the MIXX’s features warrant that price tag. You can also pair the urbn with the TRVL , the brand’s lightweight stroller, but that combo is better suited for travel—and you can read why later in this guide.)

The infant car seat that’s included in this duo, the urbn, captivates me every time I install it. (You can see the installation for yourself in Nuna’s video .) That’s because it’s completely baseless and doesn’t even require a seat belt; simply push a button on either side of the seat to reveal the built-in lower anchor connectors and then attach them to the anchors in your vehicle’s back seat. That’s it! It’s foolproof and takes just a few seconds. And more so, it’s safe, as a properly installed car seat is a safe car seat. It’s also one of the lightest infant seats on the market, weighing in at seven pounds.

These features mean the urbn is a great seat for any family, but especially if you plan to use your seat on the go in rideshares or taxis. “I love being able to move the car seat in and out of any car without worrying about a base,” one Babylist parent told us.

High points of the TAVO are things parents have come to love about Nuna strollers, including a huge storage basket, four-wheel suspension for a smooth, easy push, an adjustable handlebar and a fairly compact fold considering the stroller’s size. I’m always impressed with Nuna’s attention to the little details that make a big difference. I love the breathability of the all-season seat and the magnetic buckles that make the task of getting your baby in and out of the stroller a bit less arduous.

The urbn does have a lower height and weight limit than many infant car seats, which is something to keep in mind when you’re thinking about your infant seat’s longevity. And the stroller doesn’t have a modular seat, so you won’t be able to parent-face your child unless you’re using the infant car seat attachment.

“After extensive research, this is the set we decided on. It had the most benefits for the price point. The baseless quick install has been a breeze. The stroller is really nice. It feels luxury and well-made and steers like a dream. The only con is that this is not a small, lightweight stroller. It will take up trunk space and it isn’t super light. It is great all around, however. The biggest benefit is that it has a built-in infant lounge position, which means you can use it from birth without the car seat.” — Dana N.

“I naively thought we’d never need a stroller (I could just carry the baby everywhere right?), but now that we have the TAVO I wish we had gotten it so much sooner. It’s a joy to use and makes everything about navigating the world with baby easier. They thought of it all when designing this model. It’s incredibly simple to use and everything about it is so smooth. Took a few tries to get the hang of the baseless car seat install, but now it’s a breeze to install and I love that there’s not a base always taking up a seat in the car.” — Ryan Q.

Best Luxury Travel System

UPPAbaby Aria Infant Car Seat & Vista V2 Stroller Travel System - Jake

• Stroller can fit up to 3 kids (with attachments; sold separately)
• Great suspension and huge storage basket
• Lightest car seat on the market at 6 lbs
• Car seat has anti-rebound panel and load leg
• Stroller has bulky fold
• Car seat is long front-to-back, may be a tight fit in smaller cars

If you have the budget and this stroller and car seat fit your lifestyle, this is my favorite travel system to recommend to parents-to-be who are up for a splurge. It’s similar to the car seat stroller combo I used (and loved) for years with my first son, although at that time the system came with the brand’s first infant car seat, the Mesa—and now that it includes the Aria instead, I love it even more. (But more on that later.)

UPPAbaby’s Vista V2 stroller consistently makes it into our best strollers guide. Almost 30% of the 6,000+ Babylist users who completed our Best Baby Products survey voted it as their favorite stroller—the highest percentage for any stroller on the list—saying it’s “worth every penny” and calling out the stroller’s quality as “amazing.”

The Vista is a pleasure to push. It steers easily with one hand, turns on a dime and takes on rougher surfaces like cracked sidewalks and gravel effortlessly. It also grows along with your family, accommodating two infant car seats, two bassinets and countless other combinations. Other features parents love include the modular seat (so baby can face you or the world), huge storage basket (with a 30-pound weight limit to hold all the things) and adjustable handlebar.

The Aria is just as great. It weighs just six pounds minus the canopy and inserts, the lightest infant car seat on the market and four pounds lighter than the brand’s other infant seat, the Mesa V2 . Even I was surprised at how light it was when I picked it up—and I’ve tested a lot of car seats. Safety features include an anti-rebound panel and a load leg as well as an easy-to-install LATCH system complete with visual indicators that turn red if something’s not right with installation.

Minus the price—this travel system’s obvious downside—know that the Vista V2 is a large stroller that’s not for everyone. (Need something to travel with or a stroller that you can pop in and out of your trunk a few times a day? The Vista probably isn’t for you.) The Aria takes up a bit more room front-to-back than some other seats, a concern if you drive a compact car or need more room in the front seat.

For a slightly more affordable option, check out the UPPAbaby Cruz V2 & Aria car seat stroller combo. The Cruz is more compact than the Vista and doesn’t convert to hold two+ kids, but you’ll save almost $400.

“We’ve been a big fans of UPPABaby strollers so we were excited about this pairing when looking for a travel system for our second baby. I could not be happier with the Aria. It’s SO light—I still can’t believe how much easier it is to carry than the last infant car seat I used. I also wanted a seat that prioritized safety and the Aria more than delivers. It’s also easy to install both with or without the base.” — JL

“So many options for car seats but we choose the V2 and it made sense to have the car seat as well. This was helpful when traveling to the doctors’ appointments on the 1st months. It’s easy to lift and place on frame with no hassle.” — Ellena

“Holy grail of strollers…Bassinet has been amazing for walks & for our baby to sleep during hockey games. The car seat is easy to maneuver from car to stroller which makes shopping & travel super easy! We can’t wait to use the toddler seat & love that this will transition with us when we decide to have a 2nd baby! The stroller is smooth and I can control with one hand when other hand is occupied…Worth every penny.” — Nikki W.

Other Travel Systems We Love

If you’re looking for something more specific in your travel system, like an extra lightweight option or something for jogging, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few more of our favorites. 

Best Lightweight Travel System

Nuna PIPA urbn & TRVL LX Travel System - Cedar

• Compact, lightweight stroller with easy fold
• Baseless infant car seat, weighs just 7 lbs
• Carry bag included
• Car seat has lower height and weight limits compared to other car seats
• Handlebar isn’t adjustable like with other Nuna strollers
• No snack tray available

If you plan on traveling frequently while your baby is an infant, or simply prefer a more lightweight stroller for everyday use, this is my travel system of choice. It includes the urbn, the baseless infant car seat reviewed above, and the TRVL stroller, Nuna’s lightest and most compact stroller. Standout stroller features include a quick, one-handed fold, a compact size (it stands on its own and weighs just over 13 pounds) and a smaller but easily accessed storage basket.

“Assembly was super easy and the quality of the materials and fabric is amazing. The set is compact, lightweight and the stroller is very agile with an effortless push/pull/turn functionality. The stroller’s easy collapse and standalone feature makes life much easier. I am giving it 4 stars and not 5 for the following reasons…Car seat requires rethreading harness which is less than ideal. Handlebar on stroller is not adjustable and when the canopy is pulled back it touches the handlebar, and therefore rubs against your hands. It would be nice if you could adjust the handlebar by being able to move it up, down, or out towards your body to avoid this and also for general height consideration of the person pushing the stroller. The button to secure the car seat in the stroller is very firm and not easy to click back and forth. The storage basket is very small and will not hold a normal-size diaper bag unless you squish it in. Adjusting the straps within the stroller isn’t difficult but the remaining slack dangles and isn’t easily secured. Overall, I think the quality and functionality outweigh some of the cons but its something for Nuna to consider when designing future models.” — Kristina D.

Easiest to Fold Travel System

Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 All-Terrain Travel System - Opulent Black

• Stroller folds with one hand in seconds
• 3-wheel design = easy to maneuver
• Car seat includes anti-rebound bar
• Bulky items/large diaper bags may be difficult to fit in the storage basket
• Stroller seat isn’t modular; only faces outward
• Car seat is heavy and fabric isn’t very breathable

The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 stroller is a parent favorite and a Babylist bestseller thanks to its agility and unparalleled one-handed fold. This travel system matches it with the brand’s City GO 2 infant car seat.

The GT2’s slim profile and ability to quickly turn corners make it perfect for crowded city streets or suburban sidewalks. You can whip it closed with one hand and carry it up stairs or onto a commuter train no problem—it’s lighter than most full-size strollers. And because of its tight fold, it fits in smaller trunks. The compatible City GO 2 car seat is just as great. You can install it with or without a base (perfect for taxis or ride shares) and it pops right into the stroller.

“We are an NYC family, but also do quite a bit of driving, so we wanted a car seat that could easily pop in and out of the car. The stroller is super easy to fold with the one-pull handle, and we easily carry it up one flight of stairs. It’s not a feather, but it’s not that hard to carry one handed with something else in the other. I wish the stroller bucket was bigger, but we knew going in it wasn’t as big as others.” — AFS1122

Best Travel System for Jogging

Chicco Activ3 Jogging Travel System - Solar

• Easy to access stroller brake and front wheel swivel lock controls
• Oversized treaded tires and good suspension
• Comes with easy-to-install car seat
• Shallow storage basket
• Front wheel needs to be removed for stroller to fold flat, otherwise the fold is bulky

While you can’t jog with your baby until they have strong head and neck control, usually around six to nine months, you can use this stroller with the infant seat attachment to walk with your little one from day one. This is the best choice for an out-of-the-box travel system from the same brand. (There are other jogging-friendly travel systems out there, but most you’ll need to DIY by mixing and matching brands.)

Babylist parents call this car seat stroller combo “amazing” and “in a league of its own.” It includes the easy-to-install KeyFit 30 car seat and the Activ30 jogging stroller. The jogger has something called a Control Console, a unique area near the handlebar that includes a hand-operated parking brake (to keep the foot area clear), a front swivel wheel lock (to keep the stroller steady when you jog with it) and a height-adjustable handlebar. It also folds more compactly than most jogging strollers.

“As a runner the stroller is easy to handle and the car seat is sturdy and stays in place the entire time while running, jogging, walking. I love how easily it folds up and fits in my car. It’s such a well-made product and I feel as though my child is safe and that as a parent makes me feel better.” — Amy C.

How We Chose Our Best Infant Car Seats

We analyzed results from Babylist’s Best Baby Products survey, which polled 6,000 Babylist users and asked them to share the baby products they love the most and why.

We utilized insight from the Babylist editorial team, including me, Gear Editor Jen LaBracio, an expert in the baby space for over six years and a mom of two who has written hundreds of baby gear guides and personally researched and tested hundreds of baby products, including many travel systems.

We interviewed several experts, including Joe Colella, Director of Child Passenger Safety at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and 2020 Child Passenger Safety Hall of Fame Inductee and pediatrician Kelly Fradin , MD, FAAP. We also spoke with Courtney English , a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, and Child Passenger Safety Technician Samantha Taylor of Mama Knows Car Seats . 

We talked with Babylist Showroom Registry Consultants Tatyanna Hunter Jones and Pateel Markaradi. They’re part of a trained team of experts who work on our Beverly Hills showroom floor, answering questions daily about baby gear and helping parents-to-be build their baby registries.

We researched information on car seat safety and reviews from several leading car seat experts, including Car Seats for the Littles and The Car Seat Lady , as well as information from the AAP. We also considered the NHTSA’s Ease-of-Use Ratings .

What Is a Travel System?

A travel system is a car seat and a stroller that attach. Just unclip the car seat from its base in the back seat, snap it into the stroller and you’re off—and vice versa. 

Sometimes also referred to as a car seat stroller combo, you can purchase a travel system in two forms:

As a package deal from the same brand (the type of travel systems we’re reviewing here), or

As a “make your own” set that combines a stroller and a car seat from different brands using adapters.

Travel systems from the same brand:

Guarantee that your car seat and stroller will work together—no adapters required.

Eliminate some decision fatigue.

Can be more economical than a DIY version.

Build-your-own travel systems:

Give you more choices and the ability to mix and match brands as you’d like. You’re not locked into one brand for both your car seat and stroller, which means you’ll be able to customize each item to best suit your lifestyle. But…

Not all car seats and strollers work together. And the ones that do often require separate adapters. Check Babylist’s Infant Car Seat and Stroller Compatibility guide to learn more.

Do you need a travel system?

TL;DR: you don’t need a travel system, but you do need a way to get your newborn from point A to point B—and a travel system can help.

Unless your stroller comes with a bassinet attachment or fully reclines and is approved for newborn use, it’s not suitable for your little one until they can sit up unassisted—which usually isn’t until they’re around six months of age (or 25 weeks , if you’re counting). And even if that is the case, you’ll still need to move your infant every time you want to transfer them from the car seat to the stroller (and back again).

Here’s where a travel system comes in. A travel system solves for strolling with your newborn before they’re able to sit up independently. It also means you won’t have to disturb your little one every time you need to make the switch between your car seat and your stroller.

“Parents are shopping for/prioritizing travel systems because they like the convenience of taking baby from stroller to car and vice versa,” says Hunter Jones, a registry consultant in Babylist’s Beverly Hills showroom. “Guests will come in looking for an infant car seat that will click onto the stroller,” Markaradi, another showroom consultant, echoes.

You’ll need a travel system right from birth if you plan on using your car to transport your little one. At around six to nine months old, your baby will learn to sit up independently and will likely want a better view of the world—and then you can use the stroller on its own. And because you can use the stroller from infancy through toddlerhood, it’s the only stroller you’ll need to purchase.

Want to skip the travel system altogether? You have a few other options for newborn transportation.

A stroller frame is a bare-bones frame with the sole job of wheeling around your infant car seat. They’re typically inexpensive but stop being useful once your baby outgrows the infant car seat at about a year old, and most lack some of the nice-to-have features you’ll find on a standard stroller.

You can wear your baby in a baby carrier until they’re old enough to sit up unassisted and graduate to a stroller. But this can be tough on some parents’ backs, and you’ll lose the convenience of the car-seat-to-stroller-and-back-again transfer.

Using a Travel System Safely

Travel systems are safe for newborns, but there are some guidelines to keep in mind.

The AAP’s safe sleep guide recommends against the use of car seats for sleep outside of a car. If your infant falls asleep in their car seat, they should be removed and placed in a crib or bassinet (or other safe sleep space) as soon as possible.

But what if your baby falls asleep in their car seat while you’re driving and is still asleep when you arrive at your destination? According to pediatrician Dr. Fradin, the best practice is to remove them and transfer them to a safe sleep environment.

“However, many parents, myself included, will want the child to finish their nap for a brief period. If you choose to do this to reduce risk be sure the baby is not overheating by removing hats, blankets and ventilating the car. Also, keep the straps snug and place the car seat on the floor under your direct supervision.”

“If babies are in an approved stroller with the car seat properly restrained, I think of it the same as being in a vehicle,” explains Dr. Fradin. “Keep them cool and supervised.”

And since you may be using your infant car seat more frequently than parents who don’t rely on a travel system, keeping in mind what some experts call “the two-hour rule” is recommended.

“Safety experts [say] to limit car seat use to no more than two hours in a 24-hour period,” says English, a pediatric occupational therapist. “This is because research shows that when a baby is positioned in a semi-upright position for longer durations, it can restrict airflow to baby's lungs resulting in breathing issues. Additionally, it puts baby's spine in a stressful position when semi-inclined for longer durations.”

How to Choose a Travel System

Since a travel system includes two products, an infant car seat and a stroller, you need to think through the features of each (and how you’ll use them) both separately and as a pair.

Choosing an infant car seat

An infant car seat faces the rear of a vehicle and is designed specifically for younger babies. Infant car seats can be used from day one until your baby reaches the seat’s maximum height or weight limit (usually anywhere between 30-35 pounds, depending on the specifics of your seat).

As you review infant car seat options, look for a seat that meets these criteria:

Fits your child.

Fits your vehicle.

Can be used consistently and correctly on every ride.

All car seats sold in the US must meet the same strict safety regulations and pass all testing and requirements set forth by the NHTSA. But these three things—how a car seat fits your child, how easy it is to install and how easy it is to use day in and day out—are inextricably linked to a car seat’s safety. You can buy a seat with added safety features, but if it’s tricky to install or doesn’t fit well in your car, none of the extra bells and whistles matter.  

These are the features to think through when shopping for an infant car seat.

Size and weight, including how a seat will fit in your vehicle

A seat’s height and weight minimums and maximums

LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren, a way to secure your car seat to your vehicle that uses built-in anchors and straps instead of your vehicle’s seat belt)

Safety features such as an anti-rebound bar, side impact protection and a load leg (a metal pole that extends from a seat’s base to the floor of a vehicle and can help absorb crash forces to a baby’s head and neck)

Ease of cleaning and fabric type

Canopy size

For more information on how to choose an infant car seat, including the features to prioritize and why, safety information, determining car seat fit and our expert-recommended seat picks, check out our Best Infant Car Seats guide.

Choosing a stroller

You’ll be using your stroller longer than your infant car seat. Also, the specific needs and lifestyle of a family often impact the type of stroller they need more so than what infant car seat they choose. Here’s what to think about. 

Evaluate your lifestyle. “Just because one stroller worked for a family member or your bestie doesn’t mean it will be the perfect stroller for you,” stresses Hunter Jones. Think through your lifestyle and your daily needs to help you narrow down a pick.

Think through features. Things like a modular seat, fold, wheel type and suspension, an adjustable handlebar, a storage basket, fabric type and canopy size are features that can affect how you use your stroller day-to-day.

Factor in family size. If you’re planning on having multiple children close in age, you may want to consider a convertible stroller from day one instead of registering for a single stroller and then having to purchase a double shortly after.

Consider safety. Look for a five-point harness, an easy-to-operate brake and a good fit.

Keep cost in mind. Strollers range widely in cost. More expensive models will often have all-wheel suspension, better maneuverability, modular seats, high-end fabrics or the ability to convert to a double, but there are many high-quality, more affordable stroller options, too. It’s all about finding what works for you and for your budget.

How to Choose a Stroller walks you through making a decision step-by-step. You can also consult our Best Strollers guide for a deeper dive into all things strollers and our most-loved product picks.

Once you’ve narrowed down your stroller and car seat options, you can decide if a travel system is the best option for you and which one meets your family’s particular needs.

Jen LaBracio,

Senior gear editor, cpst.

Jen LaBracio is Babylist’s Senior Gear Editor and a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). When she’s not geeking out over car seats, testing out a new high chair or pushing the latest stroller model around her neighborhood, she likes to run, do all things Peloton, listen to podcasts, read and spend time at the beach. In her past life, she worked for over a decade in children’s publishing. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and their two boys, Will and Ben.

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Tips and Tricks for Traveling Breastfeeding Moms

Aug 16, 2024.

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Submitted by Rachel Livingston, BSN, RN, Obstetrics Manager at William Newton Hospital

As the summer is winding down and thoughts start to transition to school and the (hopeful) cooling weather, you may begin thinking of and planning your holiday travels. For the mother who is breastfeeding her young child, traveling may seem like an impossible scenario. To make sure you don’t miss grandma’s famous apple pie this holiday season and as a way to celebrate August as National Breastfeeding Month, here are some tips and tricks to make traveling while breastfeeding easier.

If you are traveling and your baby is with you:

• If flying, nurse your baby during takeoff and landing to protect your child from ear pain related to cabin pressure changes.
• Feed your baby on demand.
• Pack or wear a light shawl or scarf for coverage if desired if breastfeeding in public.
• When driving, map out your route to coordinate your stops with nursing.
• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
• Consider driving at night so baby may sleep more and decrease the need for stops.

If you are traveling and your baby is not with you:

• Prior to travel, make sure there is enough milk stocked up at home and make sure your baby will take a bottle from another caregiver.
• If you plan to express milk and store it to take home, pump or hand express your milk as often as you would normally feed your baby.
• Make sure you are washing your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer prior to pumping. Also, plan ahead on how and when you will clean your breast pump parts.
• If using an electric breast pump, make sure there will be electrical outlets available where you are going or that you have an adapter/converter if needed.
• Plan for a backup option such as hand expression or a portable manual pump just in case.
• Ensure you have plenty of milk storage bags or bottles and a cooler to store expressed milk. Call ahead to where you are staying to request a compact refrigerator for your room if possible.
• If you do not want to worry about storing expressed milk but want to keep your supply up, you can “pump and dump.”

Other considerations:

• In the US, expressed milk and related items are exempt from the TSA regulations limiting quantities of liquids.
• You can carry expressed milk, ice packs, pump/kits, and other required items through security checkpoints and onboard flights. These items will most likely be X-rayed for security measures.
• Make sure you give yourself extra time to get through airport security checkpoints.

Hopefully, these travel tips can help relieve some of the chaos of traveling while breastfeeding and give you more time to plan your trip’s adventures instead of stressing over them.

Editorial Notes: This article was submitted for the "Weekend Check-Up," a regular health column in the Cowley CourierTraveler penned by employees and friends of William Newton Hospital. Contributor Rachel Livingston, BSN, RN, is the obstetrics manager at the William Newton Hospital Family Birthing Center in Winfield offering labor and delivery services along with prepared childbirth classes and breastfeeding education. The WNH Family Birthing Center is a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier Facility. The nursing staff is committed to implementing initiatives set forth by the High 5 program in support of breastfeeding mothers and their infants.

Rachel Livingston, BSN, RN

Posted in Family Birthing Center , Weekend Check-Up Column on Aug 16, 2024

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A Stress-Less Guide to Pumping or Breastfeeding While Traveling

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Pumping while traveling, flying with breastmilk, returning home with expressed breastmilk, breastfeeding while traveling.

Traveling as a new parent is stressful enough, but when you add breastfeeding, pumping , and traveling with a cooler stuffed with “liquid gold” to the mix, it can be downright harrowing. Whether you’re trying to decipher road trip logistics, hotel refrigerators, in-flight rules, or when-and-where how-tos, we’ve got you covered with all the breastfeeding and pumping tips you need to make sure feeding your baby while your travels is stress-free.

If you’re pumping, there’s a whole other layer of travel logistics to consider!

Packing List for Pumping Parents

Your breast pump is probably already at the top of your packing list. One that’s wireless or wearable and easy-to-clean is ideal (and it’s not a bad idea to also have a small manual pump on hand for emergencies). But in addition to your trusty pump, you’ll want to stash these other travel pumping essentials in your suitcase, too.

Breast Pump Kits: If you anticipate being unable to clean individual pump parts after each use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends packing multiple breast pump kits. (While breast pump wipes are convenient, the Food and Drug Administration notes that any breast pump part that comes in contact with breastmilk still needs be cleaned with soap and warm water before using them again.)

Pump Adapter: Road-tripping with an electric breast pump? Consider buying a breast pump adapter plug that fits into your vehicle’s power outlet. Refer to your car’s owner’s manual for compatibility info.

Universal Converter: If you’re traveling to another country, you may also need a power adapter for your electric breast pump. Stow one in your purse, not your checked luggage, in case of an unexpected delay or layover.

Milk Storage Bags and/or Bottles: Though bags and pouches may save space, clear, translucent bottles are easier for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to scan.

Resealable Plastic Bags: These are must-haves for keeping any milk storage leaks contained, packing breast pump parts, and for in-a-pinch ice packs.

Portable Cooler and Ice Packs: When traveling with expressed breastmilk, you need an ultra-cold cooler that holds a lot, but is still compact, has a comfortable strap, and can be attached to carry on, such as the Breastmilk Cooler Bag from Momcozy . For ice packs, consider Cooler Shock packs that keep bottles cold for up to 48 hours.

Pumping Bras: If you’re not traveling with a wearable pump, a pumping bra can give you that oh-so helpful hands-free pumping experience.

Pumping While Traveling: Accommodations

No matter if you’re pumping while en route or saving that task for your destination, there are some pumping accommodations you should consider before starting your journey, such as…

Pumping Policies: Call your airline or train carrier or visit their website to learn about their breastfeeding and pumping stance. If applicable, print out or screenshot the info and take it with you.

Carry-On Rules: A breast pump is considered a medical device , so it doesn’t have to fit in the airlines’ approved carry-on bag guidelines.

Seating Options: For the most privacy on a plane or train, a window seat is your best bet. But before you book, call ahead to see if there’s an outlet at your seat if your pump requires one.

Pumping Spaces: Each terminal in a hub airport must offer a private, non-bathroom space to express breastmilk. (A hub airport is one that’s used by more than one airline and serves as a transfer point.) Pumping rooms may also be available in large train stations. To learn where lactation pods or rooms are located, check the airport’s or train stations website and consider downloading the Mamava app , which will direct you to Mamava lactation pods and other lactation spaces.

Fridge and Freezer Access: Not all hotels have refrigerators or freezers available in guest rooms—and not all hotels will allow you to use the ones in their kitchen. To avoid a breastmilk meltdown, find out what your hotel offers ahead of time. The La Leche League recommends asking for written confirmation about what they can offer to you ahead of time. ( Read up on the best way to store both fresh and frozen breastmilk . )

Pumping While Traveling: Schedule

Since breastmilk production is all about supply and demand, you’ll need to take some precautions to keep the milk flowing when you’re away. Some tips:

Replace each feed with a pumping session. Schedule regular breaks to express your breastmilk—and do it as frequently as you would normally feed your baby .

Stick to your original feeding schedule. If you’re traveling without your baby, sync your travel pumping schedule to your original time zone as best you can. This can be a tricky task, but if you are able, you’ll likely be able to express more milk this way.

Take care.  Traveling may cause your milk supply to take a hit. To help, get plenty of rest, drink more water (nursing parents need about 16 cups of water a day ) , avoid caffeinated beverages, and follow these supply-boosting tips . (Learn more about what to eat and drink when nursing .)

When storing, traveling with, or shipping your breastmilk isn’t possible, “pumping and dumping” is an option. This way, you can maintain your breastmilk supply and can continue breastfeeding your baby when you return home.

Having airport security confiscate your too-big shampoo or Poland Spring bottle is a bummer, but it’s nothing compared to losing your pumped breastmilk! To ensure your pumped milk gets home safely, follow this advice:

Arrive with info! Print out or screenshot all pertinent info from the TSA website in case a security agent challenges your rights or gives you a hard time. If traveling internationally, research your destination’s policies, as TSA rules are not universal. For instance, in the UK you cannot bring frozen breastmilk in your carry-on .

Speak up. Let the TSA officer know that you’re carrying expressed milk. In America, expressed breastmilk and infant formula are considered “medically necessary liquids,” which means they’re allowed in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces. That said, parents are only allowed to bring a “reasonable quantity” of breastmilk or infant formula through security, which leaves discretion to the individual TSA officer.

Talk to a passenger support specialist. Don’t hesitate to ask to talk to a supervisor or request a passenger support specialist for help.

Pack breastmilk in clear bottles. Use translucent bottles to transport expressed milk through airport security. Plastic bags and pouches may not be able to be screened by Bottle Liquid Scanners.

Consider packing your milk in a checked bag.  Not only is the belly of the plane cold, but you won’t need to deal with security. (Fingers crossed your bag isn’t delayed or lost!)

If getting breastmilk through security sounds too daunting, you can always ship your breastmilk home instead. Milk Stork , a breastmilk delivery service, will overnight your refrigerated breastmilk to your baby back home.

If you traveled with frozen breastmilk, check it when you get home. If your breastmilk still has ice crystals, you can go ahead and refreeze it . But if it’s completely melted, place your milk in the fridge and use it within 24 hours from the time it has thawed. Fresh breastmilk will remain fresh in a 40-degree Fahrenheit refrigerator for up to four days after it’s been expressed. Of you can simply store it in the freezer for later.

Plane, train, automobile? No matter how you are getting to where you’re going, you’ll need a breastfeeding plan.

Packing List for Breastfeeding Parents

Theoretically, you just need your breasts and your baby to nurse while traveling, but there are a few products that can make feeding on-the-fly a little easier. 

Nursing Bras/Tanks: Specially designed nursing bras and tank tops with their easy-access to food, helps make public or on-the-go breastfeeding less stressful.

Nursing Pillow: Consider packing an inflatable or otherwise easy-to-travel-with nursing pillow to mimic the ease of at-home breastfeeding.

Baby Carrier: A baby carrier can be a convenient addition to your breastfeeding travel toolbox, since your little one can easily feed while strapped in. (PS: While you’re allowed to carry your infant in a sling or baby carrier through the walk-through metal detectors at the airport, once onboard, your flight attendant will likely tell you that you need to hold your baby during takeoff and landing .)

Nursing Cover: While you certainly don’t have to cover up, some parents feel more comfortable nursing in public with a cover. If this is the route you choose, practice breastfeeding with a cover before your trip to help you and your baby get used to it.

Camp Chair: If you’re road tripping, you may want to stow a collapsible camp chair in your trunk. That way, you can comfortably nurse your baby and enjoy a scenic lookout while pit-stopping.

Breastfeeding While Traveling: Accommodations

Chances are you’ve created the perfect, well-stocked nursing station at home—in short, you provided your own breastfeeding accommodations! But when you’re in the airport, on a train, or even a hotel, you’re at the mercy of your surroundings. That’s why it’s a good idea to understand your options before you hit the road:

Breastfeeding Policies: Good news: all 50 states , plus the District of Columbia, have laws to protect a nursing parent’s right to breastfeed in public! Still, it’s wise to check and see if your airline or train carrier has their own breastfeeding policies, too. If they do, have it on hand just in case your right to breastfeed is challenged.

Seating: An aisle seat provides a little extra elbow room for nursing, but if privacy is your main concern, a window seat is likely your best bet. (PS: Passengers caring for small children cannot sit in exit row seats .)

Lactation Spaces:  All hub airports are required to provide a private, non-bathroom space in each terminal for parents to breastfeed. Lactation rooms are available in some large train stations across the country, too. Check your airport’s or train station’s website for more info and download the  Mamava app  for more help locating pumping pods near you.

Breastfeeding While Traveling: Schedule

If you’re not prepared, travel days can throw all your baby-related routines into a tizzy. To help keep disruptions to a minimum, try these breastfeeding strategies while traveling:

Mimic your home routine. As much as you can, try to keep your baby’s sleeping and nursing routines as close to your at-home schedule as possible.

Make a pitstop list. Traveling by car? Schedule stops that coincide with your bub’s feeding schedule. Research scenic overlooks where you can comfortably nurse and rest stops that have nursing pods ahead of time.

Nurse at takeoff and landing. This may help protect your little one from cabin pressure-related ear pain.

Don’t believe your GPS! Expect longer travel time to accommodate stops for nursing and general baby care.

More on Traveling With Babies and Toddlers:

• Sleep Tips for Holiday Travel
• How to Handle Virtually Any Travel Nightmare When Flying With Kids
• Travel Crib Tips for Safe Sleep Away From Home
• Travel Toys to Occupy Tots on the Go
• How to Fly With a Baby

REFERENCES 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Travel & Breastfeeding
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Cleaning a Breast Pump
• University of Pennsylvania, Penn Today: Travel tips for breastfeeding mothers
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Breast Milk
• UCHealth Today: Breastfeeding while traveling
• CDC: Travel Recommendations for Nursing Families
• La Leche League: Traveling with Frozen Human Milk
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nursing Your Baby — What You Eat and Drink Matters
• UK Civil Aviation Authority: Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports
• Akron Children’s Hospital: Got milk? Tips to surviving TSA when traveling with breast milk or formula
• TSA: TSA tips on traveling with small children through a security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Use of Child/Infant Restraint Systems in Aircraft
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Using Law and Policy to Promote Breastfeeding in the United States

View more posts tagged, breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding and travel

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• Breastfeeding in public is considered offensive in some countries, so check beforehand to avoid unpleasant attention.
• In developing countries, avoid travelling with a baby outside major centres – the risk of disease is higher and it can be difficult to find good medical facilities.
• Dehydration and illness (such as travellers’ diarrhoea) may temporarily reduce your milk supply.

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Cultural sensitivity when breastfeeding, immunisation and breastfeeding, malaria and breastfeeding, other medications while breastfeeding, maintaining breastmilk supply when travelling, tips for breastfeeding when travelling, where to get help.

Breastmilk is instantly on hand and contains immune factors, so it is the safest food and drink for your baby while travelling. If your baby is exclusively breastfed , you won’t have to worry about unclean water supplies or sterilising bottles. In developing countries, avoid travelling with a baby outside major centres. There is a higher risk of disease and it can be difficult to find good medical facilities.

Many families with babies are travelling to visit and stay with family and friends. If this is the case, you will most likely know what is normal and polite in the country you are visiting.

Babies are welcome in most places, and can be a great way of helping you interact with people you may meet on your travels. Breastfeeding in public is generally accepted, but people in some countries may consider it offensive. Before travelling, check with the Australian embassy in the country you are visiting, or with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A discreetly placed bunny rug or shawl is very useful when breastfeeding in a public place.

See your doctor to discuss vaccinations before you travel . Your doctor may suggest giving your baby the routine vaccinations earlier. Research suggests that vaccinations are safe for mothers and babies. But it is not possible to vaccinate a newborn baby against some diseases, such as yellow fever , and breastmilk will only offer limited protection.

Unless you really must travel, it may be wiser to delay your trip until your baby is older.

If you are travelling to a place where malaria is present, you will need to take anti-malarial medications. Small amounts of this medication will be passed to your baby through your breastmilk. Doctors do not think this is harmful. But the medication your baby receives in milk will not be enough to protect them against malaria. Before you travel, discuss with your doctor which medications and dosages will be suitable for your baby. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. While travelling, take extra care to avoid mosquito bites . Suggestions include:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Make sure your baby’s skin is well covered with clothes.
• Wear insect repellent.
• Do not put insect repellent on your baby’s hands as they may swallow the lotion if they suck their fingers. Instead keep them in a pram covered with netting in areas where mosquitoes are a problem.
• Use insect sprays or mosquito coils in your room.
• Sleep under mosquito nets (both you and your baby).

Both prescription and over-the-counter medications, including herbal medications, can be passed to your baby through your breastmilk. Generally the amounts are so small that taking the medications is usually okay when you are breastfeeding. Only take medications prescribed or recommended by your doctor who knows you are breastfeeding. If possible, take with you all the (safe) over-the-counter medications you think you may need during your trip. Remember that other countries may not have familiar brands, and what you assume to be a suitable substitute may not be a good thing to take while breastfeeding.

Some women find their milk supply temporarily decreases at times during their trip. This could be due to dehydration after flying or illness (such as travellers’ diarrhoea ) or because there are fewer opportunities to breastfeed. It may help if you:

• Continue to breastfeed as often as your baby wants.
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, especially on long-distance flights.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks .
• Don’t smoke .
• Avoid smoky environments .
• Get enough rest.
• Plan plenty of rest breaks and feed breaks.
• Drink more water if you get travellers’ diarrhoea.

Suggestions include:

• Ask friends or your travel agent for advice on child-friendly airlines. Some airlines are more accommodating than others.
• Ask your travel agent for suggestions on airline travel with children.
• Speak directly with the airline if you have questions or concerns.
• Be aware that water does not come to a full boil on aeroplanes. Make sure you can breastfeed, or take sterile water with you if you need to make up infant formula .
• If you are unsure whether baby products will be available at your destination, take enough supplies to last you the whole trip. Take sachets of an oral rehydration product (to treat fluid and electrolyte loss) in case you or your baby gets diarrhoea.
• If your baby gets diarrhoea when travelling, keep breastfeeding. It is fine to go back to exclusive breastfeeding for a while until your baby is better.
• If you express milk , take your own equipment (such as breast pump) with you. Remember to take a power point adaptor if your breast pump is electric.
• If you are travelling alone, ask the airline if they can give you an ‘assistant’ to help you at each stop. For example, the staff member might collect your luggage and help you on and off the plane.
• While travelling by plane, try to time your baby’s feeds so they are drinking during take-off and landing. This will help avoid ear pain caused by changes in cabin pressure.
• Thieves tend to target women travelling with young children, because mothers are often distracted and not able to hold on to their handbags. Carry your valuables on your body, such as in a neck pouch or money-belt worn under your clothes.
• Carrying your baby in a sling or specially designed backpack baby carrier can make it easier to get around in places like airports, train stations and bus terminals. You will also know exactly where your baby or toddler is, and that they are safe and secure, where they can gain comfort from being close to you.
• Your GP (doctor)
• Your maternal and child health nurse
• Australian Breastfeeding Association Breastfeeding Helpline External Link Tel. 1800 686 268
• Travel agent
• Australian embassies External Link
• Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade External Link Tel. (03) 9221 5444
• Travel guide with information on travelling with children
• Advice for women travellers External Link , Smartraveller, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Travel and breastfeeding External Link , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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More information, related information.

Being young and fit doesn't reduce your risk of altitude sickness.

Children should always be closely supervised near animals and taught how to behave safely around pets.

You can help your child overcome anxiety by taking their fears seriously and encouraging them to talk about their feelings.

Pregnant women with asthma need to continue to take their asthma medication as it is important to the health of both mother and baby that the mother's asthma is under control.

Before taking your trip, visit your doctor to make sure your asthma is under control well before you leave.

From other websites

• External Link Smartraveller – Advice for women travellers
• External Link Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Travel and Breastfeeding

Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

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How to Travel for Work While Breastfeeding

Created On: July 21, 2023   |   Updated: April 13, 2024   |   By Amanda   |   Leave a comment

Traveling for work as a breastfeeding mom can be stressful – there is so much to think about when it comes to traveling with your breast milk, pumping on the plane, and managing your milk stash at your destination. Here is a complete guide to how to travel for work when breastfeeding!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click a link and purchase something, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More information here .

Here’s everything you need to know about traveling for work when you’re a breastfeeding mom.

Packing for your trip

You’ll have to bring a lot of gear with you to pump, store your milk, and clean your pump parts. Here’s what you might need to pack, and some tips on the packing process.

What do you need to pack?

While everyone will have a different packing list, here are some things that you may want to consider.

1. Breast pump and power cords

You’ll obviously need your breast pump and power cord. Some people like to bring a manual pump as well as a backup.

Also, you may need an external battery pack if your pump does not have a rechargeable battery. Below are some examples.

Breast Pump Battery Packs

Medela Battery Pack

Car Adapter – 12V

TalentCell – 12V

2. pump parts.

You’ll also need at least one, and preferably two or three, sets of breast pump parts (extra sets are helpful when you aren’t able to wash your gear and in the event of lost parts).

Other things that can be helpful include:

• Medela Quick-Clean Wipes
• A wet/dry bag to store your pump parts in

3. Washing gear

Some things that can be helpful for washing your pump parts on your trip include:

• A travel Boon rack for washing and drying your pump parts
• Collapsible wash basin
• A travel-sized container of dish soap

4. Milk Storage

Assuming you plan to take milk back with you, you’ll likely need a cooler for transporting it cold.

Extra bottles and milk bags can also come in handy.

Breast Milk Coolers

Medela Breast Milk Cooler

Sarah Wells Breast Milk Cooler

Ceres Chill

A few other things that you might need include:

• A nursing cover for pumping on the plane or in public, if you’d like to use one
• Breast pads
• Anything else you regularly use for pumping, such as a lactation massager

Here’s an awesome video of what one exclusive pumper includes in her pump bag when she travels for work, and how she packs it all up:

(Video Description: An exclusive pumper sits with her suitcase and carry-on bag and shows what she packed to pump breast milk for her baby on her work trip.)

Packing up your breast pump gear for a work trip

Forgetting something crucial when you travel for work, like a breast shield or a valve, is not fun. When you’re packing, you want to make absolutely sure that you have everything that you need.

Because different things work for different people, it’s a good idea to figure out what will work best for you when you’re packing to make sure you don’t forget anything. Some suggestions:

• Make a checklist of everything you need, and then make a fresh copy of it for each trip. Check off stuff as you pack it. You can get a free checklist for pumping and traveling here!
• Lay everything you need out so you can see all your gear before you start to put things in the bag.
• If you have anything that you can’t pack until the last minute, put it near your bag or put a sticky note on your suitcase to remind yourself.

Flying with your breast pump and breast milk

Going through security with your pump and milk can be stressful. Being prepared can make dealing TSA screening a lot easier.

On the flight out

Here’s what to consider when getting ready to leave for your trip.

Breast pump

Your breast pump is a medical device and may not count as a separate carry-on item. It’s a good idea to check with your airline, and if possible, print out your airline’s breastfeeding policy ( here’s an example ) and bring it with you in case there is any confusion with the gate agent.

Unless there is (for whatever reason) no other option, do not check your pump – if you have a long delay, you’ll need it, and it will be a huge hassle if it gets lost.

Milk and cooler

On your first flight, you probably won’t have any milk with you, so the process should be straightforward. You should be able to send your breast pump through the conveyor belt when going through security screening without issue.

If you’re bringing an ice pack on the plane to keep the breast milk you pump en route cold, make sure that it’s frozen solid.

On the return flight home

When you’re on your return flight, you’ll have breast milk with you that will need to be checked by TSA agents. In some cases, each bottle will be opened and checked.

Some suggestions for making this process as smooth as possible:

• Print out the TSA guidelines for traveling with breast milk and bring them with you, or have a screenshot of them on your phone.
• Tell the TSA staffer at the front of the conveyor belt that your bag contains breast milk and send the cooler bag through on its own.
• When the cooler bag gets pulled aside, claim it and tell the TSA agent that it’s breast milk so they know what process they need to do.
• In most cases, the TSA staffer will test each bottle (procedures can vary at different airports). The fewer bottles you have, the faster it will be (so it might make sense to invest in bottles that hold a larger quantity for travel).

Make sure to give yourself a cushion in terms of time, in case there’s a delay.

If you’re traveling with a great deal of breast milk and are nervous about going through security, you could consider utilizing TSA Cares .

Pumping on the plane and in the airport

Depending on the length of your flight and how frequently you pump, you might be able to get away with just pumping in the airport before you take off, or you might need to pump on the plane.

If you’re pumping in the airport, many airports now have mother’s rooms or Mamava pods that you can pump in. If that’s not an option, you may be able to use a family restroom, or I’ve also found a mostly empty gate with an outlet and pumped there while facing the window.

If you plan to pump on the plane and you have a choice of a window or an aisle seat, a window seat might work best for additional privacy.

Also, this way, you don’t need to stop pumping if your seat mate needs to use the restroom.

Because everyone is facing forward and the plane is so loud, most people won’t know or care that you’re pumping.

Storing breast milk when you’re staying at a hotel

When you book your hotel, ask for a mini-fridge to use in your room. Make sure to tell them what it’s for, and it’s possible they won’t charge you since breast milk is considered a “medical liquid.”

If you end up using the mini-bar fridge to store your milk, check the temperature of it if possible. They are often kept warmer than normal fridges. (Also, some mini-bars use sensors to charge for beverages, so if that’s the case be careful moving stuff around.)

Another option, if you have room in your luggage, is bringing a tiny fridge (that holds about 6 cans of soda) and keeping it in your hotel room.

Most airlines don’t allow these in carry-on luggage but do allow them to be checked . You should confirm with your airline before making plans.

You may want to label your bottles with a sticker or a dry erase marker so you know the day each was pumped.

Packing up your milk for the trip home

There are two ways you can get your milk home – bring it on the plane with you, or ship it.

Bringing milk on the plane

In most cases, with short trips, the best way to pack up the milk from your trip is in a breast milk cooler. Since each bottle may need to be checked by security, travel with as few bottles as you can (as noted above, that might mean using larger bottles for travel).

Some women prefer travel with milk in breast milk storage bags because they take up less room.

If you’re able to freeze your ice pack in the hotel you’re staying in, that’s ideal. Otherwise, you can keep the cooler cool with ice from the hotel, airport, and flight attendants on the plane. (Just bring a small plastic bag with you to put the ice in.)

Planning to travel? Make your trip so much easier – grab the Pumping Travel Planner for $9!

Shipping your milk

Some employers contract with Milk Stork to ship their employees’ breast milk home for them.

It may be worth checking to see if your company offers this benefit; if not, you may be able to work with them directly.

Making travel for work while breastfeeding less stressful

Melora, who is featured in the video above, recommended a few mindset shifts in the way you think about traveling and pumping to help manage the stress.

No wasted effort

Even if you were to lose ALL of the milk that you pumped during your trip for whatever reason – that time spent pumping wasn’t wasted.

Pumping still maintained your milk supply and helped you avoid clogged ducts and mastitis. Both of those things are really important!

When you think about it this way, all of the milk that you bring home is a bonus.

Remember people are focused on themselves

Remember that nobody cares all that much about what you’re doing.

Everyone is on their own trip, and while they might look at you out of curiosity, for the most part, other people don’t care what you do. Try to let go of anxiety about other people and go with the flow.

Trips will get easier as you figure things out

Look at the first few trips as learning trips that are going to have some trial and error while you figure out the best system for you.

Try and laugh off things that go wrong – in most cases, you’ll at least have a good story to tell.

Share your tips for how to travel for work while breastfeeding below!

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WhatToExpect.com, Pumping Breast Milk Guide ,  WhatToExpect.com,  Breastfeeding: Basics and Tips for Nursing Your Baby , January 2022. WhatToExpect.com, Is Breast Engorgement Normal After Giving Birth? , June 2021. WhatToExpect.com,  How to Get a Breast Pump Through Your Health Insurance , August 2022. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG),  Breastfeeding , 2023. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP),  Breastfeeding: Frequently Asked Questions , September 2021. La Leche League International (LLLI),  Pumping Milk , 2023. Andrea Tran, R.N., I.B.C.L.C. Wendy Wright, I.B.C.L.C.

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Medela Store and Feed Set | Breast Milk Storage Bottles, Nipples, Breast Milk Storage Bags | BPA-Free

Gift Set + Storage Bags

Gift Set + Storage Bottles

Purchase options and add-ons

• COMPATIBILITY: Our Breast Milk Storage Bottles fit all Medela pumps with bottles so you can express and store in the same container.
• ACCURATE SCALE: measure the amount of expressed breast milk with ounce and milliliter markers.
• VERSATILE LEAK-PROOF STORAGE: The set includes breast milk bottles with caps and breastmilk storage bags for leak-proof storage, and safe freezing.
• CLEANING AND SANITIZING: Our Breast Milk bottles are dishwasher safe and can be sanitized with our Quick Clean Microwave Bag.
• MADE WITHOUT BPA: Our products are made without BPA.

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Product description.

Medela’s Store and Feed Set includes (3) 5oz polypropylene bottles with nipples, collars and caps; (6) 80mL (2.7oz) bottles and lids; (20) 6 oz/180 ml Breast Milk Storage Bags. All our products are made without BPA.

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 89% 8% 2% 0% 1% 8%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 89% 8% 2% 0% 1% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 89% 8% 2% 0% 1% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 89% 8% 2% 0% 1% 1%

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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the quality, value, performance, ease of storage, and gift set of the baby product. For example, they mention it's a high-quality baby feeding solution, works well with the pump, and has everything you need for milk collection storage. That said, some complain about the flow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the quality of the baby product. They say it's a good starter pack, great value for money, and a high-quality baby feeding solution. Some customers also mention that the nipple flow came as slow and not medium.

"Fast shipping- good quality " Read more

"...Feed Set to any parent looking for a comprehensive and high-quality baby feeding solution . It's a must-have addition to your baby care arsenal!" Read more

"...The nipples for the bottles but they are not good quality . They sink inside the bottles many times...." Read more

" Everything was great and brand new but the box was all opened and smashed in which made me question if the contents were used already!" Read more

Customers find the value of the baby product set to be good. They say it's well worth the buy, has good quality for the price, and is a wonderful set. Some say the contents are good and it'll be useful for newborn's mom.

"...and nipples 6 collectors and 25 Breastmilk storage bags for a great price ." Read more

"...I used everything up too ! Very good quality for price !..." Read more

"...Hint: enfamil nipples fit the medela bottles and cylinders. They are way cheaper and actually have slow flow)" Read more

" Great value for the $$$ " Read more

Customers find the storage bag and bottle set convenient for milk collection and feeding. They also say the bags are great for extended storage and the kit comes with lids for easy storage. Customers say the kit has everything they need for pumping storage and bottles for feeding.

"...bottles to use and clean quickly .I love that this pack comes with lids for easy storage or travel.this kit is perfect for me either formula or..." Read more

"...recommend any breastfeeding mom to have this kit I was able to store so much milk on the go and while home with these bottles !" Read more

"Product is very easy to use and cute bottles. Storage bags for freezer are great too!" Read more

"It is so helpful having the extra bottles and such" Read more

Customers like the pump. They say it's great for pumping and feeding, and a perfect starter for pump and storing breastmilk. Some say it’s a good set to replenish their pumping supply.

"Easy to use, easy to clean, great for pumping moms needing replacement parts !" Read more

"...This set is the perfect starter for pumping and storing breastmilk . Highly recommend this brand!" Read more

"I love this and I know it’s great in keeping breast milk ." Read more

" Good set to replenish my pumping supply !" Read more

Customers find the product easy to use and simple. They say it makes feeding time a breeze.

" Easy to use , easy to clean, great for pumping moms needing replacement parts!" Read more

"...of having all these items in one kit is unmatched, making feeding time a breeze ...." Read more

"Great quality and easy to use with my breast pump." Read more

"...I love this brand. Simple and easy to use...." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the performance of the product. They mention that it works well with the pump and the collar attaches to ready to use.

"All things are good and as expected, works well with the pump and collar attaches to ready to go formula bottles, but nipples have too much flow for..." Read more

"This set was nice. Used them more to store pumped milk in. Worked well with breast pump ." Read more

"Love Medela products, they work great !" Read more

" Works great " Read more

Customers like the gift. They mention it's a great baby shower gift and a gift for best feeding mommas.

"... Great gift for new moms ." Read more

" Perfect for expecting mom as a gift ! This set is the perfect starter for pumping and storing breastmilk. Highly recommend this brand!" Read more

" Great gift for best feeding mommas ." Read more

" Perfect gift set for any breastfeeding mother who love Medela" Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the flow of the bottle. They mention that the nipples are too fast flowing, and the flow is too runny for a newborn.

"...collar attaches to ready to go formula bottles, but nipples have too much flow for a newborn ." Read more

"...They are definitely not slow flow ." Read more

"...Bottles are nice quality. My baby HATES the nipples. Too fast of a flow " Read more

"...the same container you pumped into, but they were a little too fast flowing for my newborn ...." Read more

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In the News

Russian Media Claims "Invisible" Ukrainian Soldiers as Explanation for Kursk Advances

Russian propaganda is spinning an unusual theory to explain the recent Ukrainian advances in the Kursk Oblast.

The latest claim suggests that Ukrainian soldiers have received special uniforms from Western allies that render them invisible, both day and night, as part of an alleged international conspiracy.

According to reports from the Military Portal , this theory is being pushed as a way to rationalize Ukraine's success in the region.

But this explanation is far from credible, as the large amount of equipment that Ukrainian forces have moved into Kursk Oblast would be difficult to conceal, even if the soldiers themselves were invisible.

The Reality of Ukrainian Forces in Kursk

Retired military intelligence officer Lt. Col. Maciej Korowaj wrote on X :

"At night, sounds travel for many kilometers, which is why the sound of Ukrainian engines on the night before the operation from August 5 to 6, 2024 was clearly audible in the Sumy district."

Even if the Ukrainians had used special camouflage for their soldiers and equipment, the presence of Ukrainian forces near and across the Russian border would be hard to miss.

Belarusians Join Ukraine in Kursk: Fighting Russians with Their Own Weapons

Fact vs. Fiction

While the idea of "invisible" soldiers might sound like science fiction, the military industry has indeed been developing advanced camouflage materials for some time, as reported by WP Tech .

These materials are designed to bend light around the object, effectively masking it from visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and shortwave light. Such technology also reduces the thermal signature of soldiers, making it harder for enemy night vision and thermal imaging to detect them.

In late 2023, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, introduced a real-world example of this technology via Telegram.

He showcased an "invisibility cloak" designed to help Ukrainian soldiers evade detection by Russian thermal imaging, especially from drones. Weighing just 2.5 kg, this cloak offers protection against various weather conditions and is made from non-flammable material.

Poland's Contributions

Similar innovations are being developed in Poland, where a camouflage net was tested by WP Tech journalist Norbert Garbarek.

This net, part of the INVISI-TEC IR system, effectively stops heat radiation, blending and reflecting the temperature generated by a soldier back to its source.

This technology makes it nearly impossible for the heat to "escape" and reveal the soldier's position.

Russian Soldier Defects to Ukraine After Sabotaging "Storm Z" Headquarters

Russia Accuses Ukraine of Planning "Nuclear Provocation" for 11th Time

Putin in Deep Crisis as Russian Losses in Ukraine Skyrocket

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 21, 2024

Angelica Evans, Karolina Hird, Nicole Wolkov, Kateryna Stepanenko, and George Barros

August 21, 2024, 8:40pm ET

Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report.

Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of Ukraine. Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly recommended for using this data-heavy tool.

Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline. ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly.

Note: The data cut-off for this product was 1pm ET on August 21. ISW will cover subsequent reports in the August 22 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment.

The Kremlin appears to have launched an intricate messaging campaign aimed at justifying to its domestic audience why Russia is prioritizing maintaining the initiative in eastern Ukraine over immediately expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Russian government sources close to the Russian Presidential Administration told Russian independent outlet Meduza that the Kremlin is actively trying to condition Russian society to accept the limited Ukrainian presence in Kursk Oblast as a “new normal” and downplay the significance of the incursion. [1] The sources noted that the Kremlin will use propaganda to encourage Russians to wait for Russian forces to retake these territories after an “inevitable” Ukrainian defeat in eastern Ukraine. The sources also added that the Kremlin is redirecting Russians’ concerns over Kursk Oblast by preoccupying domestic society with humanitarian assistance drives to assist the affected residents of Kursk Oblast and noted that the Kremlin decided against canceling the upcoming Kursk Oblast gubernatorial elections scheduled for September to minimize panic in the region. [2] The Russian Central Election Commission, however, decided to postpone local elections in the seven raions in Kursk Oblast that are impacted by the Ukrainian incursion due to security risks, and the Kremlin may have decided to maintain gubernatorial elections as scheduled to replace the interim Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov, who has overseen much of the local Russian response to the incursion. [3] Meduza also highlighted Russian state media’s coverage of the incursion, which began increasingly portraying Kursk Oblast and its residents as supporting the Russian war effort in Ukraine, despite encountering some mild wartime disruptions to residents’ ordinary lives. [4] The Kremlin may be also attempting to weaponize state media's coverage of its months-long offensive in eastern Ukraine to advance its messaging campaign about the incursion. Russian state TV channels are notably covering Ukraine’s incursion in Kursk Oblast as a limited operation, while actively contrasting it with Russian advances in the Pokrovsk direction, which Russian media is painting as major victories. [5]

The Kremlin may be using this messaging campaign to afford itself time and space to respond to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast after achieving its offensive objectives in eastern Ukraine. Russian government sources told Meduza that the Kremlin was initially shocked and worried about Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast but calmed down within a week because Ukrainian forces’ advances were far from more densely populated regional centers such as Kursk City. [6] Meduza reported that all interviewed officials expressed confidence that battles in Kursk Oblast will continue at their current scale for months, indicating that the Kremlin may not be rushing to repel Ukrainian forces from the region and will instead continue to prioritize its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine. A Ukrainian source in the military-political leadership, on the contrary, told Ukrainian news wire RBC-Ukraine that Putin tasked Russian forces with repelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast by October 1 without re-deploying forces from key frontlines areas – namely from the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. ISW previously assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military command likely view maintaining the theater-wide initiative as a strategic imperative to win the war of attrition against Ukraine and are continuing to prioritize the Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine. [7] Putin’s reported October 1 deadline assumes a long time for Russia’s territorial integrity to have been contested given that the incursion began on August 6th. Such a protracted occupation of Russian territory undermines the Kremlin’s longstanding narratives about why Russia is at war in the first place; the Kremlin had been justifying its war in Ukraine as a defensive war that aims to protect Russian sovereignty and territorial integrity. [8] The Kremlin’s relaxed approach to the temporal aspect implies that the Kremlin has decided to prioritize tactical advances in Ukraine over rapidly restoring Russia’s territorial integrity in Kursk, and this apparent decision undermines a series of long-standing narratives about Russian “red lines.”

Putin notably appears to be demanding that Russia defeat Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast without sacrificing the stability of his regime, deprioritizing the offensive in eastern Ukraine, or firing his incompetent but loyal lieutenants. The results of such a strategy are too early to forecast. Meduza’s sources also noted that the Kremlin also considered the need for a new mobilization wave at the start of the incursion, but that the Russian Cabinet of Ministers and Kremlin-affiliated businessmen immediately opposed general mobilization due to ongoing labor shortages in Russia — although it is unclear whether Kremlin even considered this argument. [9] Meduza’s sources assessed that the Kremlin is much more likely to double down on the use of conscripts in Kursk Oblast, which if true, would mark another example of Putin making unrealistic demands of the Russian military command without providing the command appropriate manpower and resources to achieve its objectives. ISW has repeatedly assessed that Putin has neglected the need to declare general mobilization throughout the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine out of concern for his regime’s stability on numerous occasions, and his recent decision to announce a counterterrorism operation in Kursk Oblast (as opposed to declaring war or mobilization) may indicate that he is not prepared to respond to the incursion with mobilization at this time. [10] Meduza’s sources also observed that there are currently no rumors within the Kremlin about the removal of Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov due to his ongoing involvement in the Russian offensive in Donbas or the ongoing crisis in Kursk Oblast. The sources noted that the Kremlin might need to appoint a scapegoat for the incursion in the future but is not currently considering placing Gerasimov in that position. ISW cannot independently verify these reports, but they appear to be consistent with ISW's assessments about the Kremlin's prioritization of the offensive in eastern Ukraine and Putin’s, inability to dynamically adjust objectives, and his aversion to taking risks. [11] The Kremlin’s reported approach to command changes appears to be consistent with Putin’s observed pattern of withholding command changes until he is no longer actively facing a crisis. [12]

Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations throughout the Kursk Oblast salient on August 21 and have made additional marginal advances. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces posted footage on August 21 showing Ukrainian strikes on several pontoon bridges and staging areas along the Seim River in Glushkovsky Raion, west of the current Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast. [13] The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces suggested that Ukrainian forces may have used HIMARS in some of the strikes against pontoon bridges, while milbloggers speculated that Ukrainian forces used air-launched small-diameter glide bombs. [14] Geolocated footage published on August 21 shows drone operators of Russia's 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District [EMD]) striking Ukrainian forces in and around Vishnevka (south of Koreveno and 14km from the international border), confirming that Ukrainian forces have likely advanced into and beyond the settlement. [15] A Russian milblogger claimed that a reinforced platoon-sized Ukrainian element unsuccessfully attacked from Vishnevka towards Komarovka (southwest of Koreveno and 12km from the international border), but that Russian drone strikes and anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) fire stopped Ukrainian forces from establishing positions within Komarovka. [16] Another Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted a platoon-sized mechanized attack towards Korenevo but were unsuccessful. [17] Additional geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces hold positions in forest areas east of Aleksandrovka (northeast of Koreveno and 33km from the international border). [18] Geolocated footage published on August 21 also shows that elements of the Russian 200th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade (14th Army Corps, Leningrad Military District [LMD]) hold positions along the 38H-564 road east of Zhuravli (east of Koreveno and 21km from the international border), indicating that Russian forces either recently retook these positions or that Ukrainian forces have not yet closed the small salient along the 38H-564 road near Zhuravli. [19] Russian milbloggers continued to claim that Ukrainian forces are advancing north of Sudzha near Malaya Loknya and are encircling Russian forces in Martynovka (northeast of Sudzha and 19km from the international border). [20] Elements of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) are reportedly facing encirclement in Martynovka, and Russian milbloggers lauded a soldier from the Russian 11th Airborne (VDV) Brigade for allegedly leading conscripts out of an encirclement in an unspecified area in Kursk Oblast, potentially in reference to the Martynovka pocket. [21] Geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces have advanced into southern Russkaya Konopelka (east of Sudzha and 12km from the international border). [22] The Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade appears to be deployed particularly sporadically throughout the Kursk Oblast salient — various Russian sources have reported that its elements are operating as far north as the Kauchuk area (30km from the international border) and between Martynovka and Spalnoye (southeast of Sudzha and 45km away from Kauchuk). [23]

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Republic of Chechnya for the first time in 13 years on August 20, likely in an effort to shift domestic focus away from the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and posture normalcy and stability. Putin met with Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny, Chechnya, and praised Kadyrov for his socio-economic development programs. [24] Kadyrov claimed that Chechnya has sent 47,000 military personnel to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, including 19,000 volunteers who trained at the Spetsnaz University in Gudermes, Chechnya. Kadyrov also claimed that Chechnya has "several tens of thousands" of trained and equipped military personnel in reserve. Putin visited Spetsnaz University, which trains military personnel from across Russia and spoke to a group of military commanders, instructors, and volunteers. Putin claimed that all Russians — no matter their ethnicity or religious affiliations — are united by their morals, ethics, love for the Fatherland, respect for elders, respect for Russia's history, and faith in Russia's future. [25] Putin also ostentatiously kissed a Quran to demonstrate his purported respect for the Islamic faith and the people of Chechnya. Putin consistently attempts to portray Russia as a harmonious multi-ethnic and multi-religious country despite growing xenophobia against migrants and ethnic and religious minorities [26] Putin additionally emphasized Russian soldiers' alleged heroism for putting themselves at risk to protect Russia by fighting in Ukraine. [27] Putin also may have intended to use his visit to Chechnya to commend Chechen leaders for dedicating forces to the defensive effort in Kursk Oblast and address concerns about the reportedly significant number of Chechen military personnel that Ukrainian forces have taken as prisoners of war in Kursk Oblast. [28]

Recent US intelligence assessments highlight Ukraine's efforts to develop alternative and asymmetric capabilities in the face of Russian manpower and materiel advantages, as well as Ukraine's continued dependence on Western security assistance. The US Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General's Office published a series of assessments by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the DoD's quarterly review of US military assistance to Ukraine on August 15. [29] DIA's assessments largely cohere with trends and phenomena observable in the open source, although it is unclear what conclusions policymakers should draw from DIA's assessments given that some of these assessments assume that certain battlefield conditions are totally static, whereas ISW assesses the same conditions to be in flux.

The DIA assesses that recent US military assistance to Ukraine will "almost certainly" be insufficient in helping Ukraine match or overcome Russia's artillery advantage in Ukraine and the estimated Russian daily fire rate of 10,000 artillery rounds. [30] Ukrainian servicemembers have consistently expressed concern about Ukrainian artillery shortages following significant delays in US aid in Winter 2023–2024 and Spring 2024, and Ukrainian officials have previously acknowledged the impact of artillery constraints on Ukraine's defensive and offensive capabilities, particularly in Donetsk Oblast. [31] Destructive Russian shelling and glide bomb strikes appear to be a fundamental aspect of the Kremlin's theory of victory in Ukraine, which posits that Russian forces can continue slow, grinding advances aided by razing Ukrainian settlements to the ground regardless of Russian manpower losses and premised on the assumption that Russian forces can deprive Ukraine of the ability to contest the theater-wide initiative in perpetuity. [32] Ukrainian forces have, on the contrary, demonstrated their commitment and ability to develop and employ alternative and asymmetric capabilities, namely drones and long-range strikes, to partially counter Russia's artillery advantage in Ukraine and to defend against Russian mechanized and infantry assaults, often to outsized effect compared to the smaller-scale systems Ukrainian forces are employing. Ukrainian forces successfully defended against a series of large-scale Russian mechanized assaults in western Donetsk Oblast in late July 2024 with drone strikes and limited artillery support, and Russian milbloggers have previously warned about the threat of targeted Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drone strikes throughout the frontline in Ukraine. [33] Ukrainian forces have also used long-range strikes against Russian military targets and oil depots supplying military equipment in Russia to complicate Russian logistics, force Russia to reallocate air defense assets, and disrupt Russia's oil and gas industry. [34] The most recent allotment of US aid to Ukraine is undoubtedly insufficient to address the ongoing artillery disparity between Russian and Ukrainian forces and asymmetric means are not a replacement for artillery and other conventional means, but the US and wider Western alliance remain capable of addressing Ukraine's constraints caused by delays in Western security assistance.

The DIA also assesses that Ukraine "probably" remains capable of continuing defensive operations in Ukraine but is not capable of conducting large-scale counteroffensive operations for at least the next six months. [35] ISW recently assessed that both Russian and Ukrainian forces lack the capability to conduct individual decisive war-winning operations and must instead conduct multiple successful operations with limited operational objectives that, in the aggregate, can achieve strategic objectives. [36] ISW continues to assess that Ukrainian forces could use smaller-scale Ukrainian counterattacks and localized counteroffensive operations to liberate territory while avoiding the challenges associated with conducting large-scale counteroffensive operations amid continued Western delays and hesitancy in allocating further military assistance to Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have conducted several localized counterattacks in northern Kharkiv Oblast and towards Kreminna (in the Luhansk-Donetsk Oblast border area) in recent months, suggesting that Ukrainian forces are already attempting to contest the tactical initiative in select frontline areas. [37] Ukrainian forces have also succeeded in launching a localized offensive operation into Kursk Oblast and seizing the operational initiative in this sector of the frontline, which is drawing Russian forces from other, lower-priority frontline areas in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have identified drawing Russian forces from lower-priority frontline areas as a key goal of Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, and this effort could force Russia to leave some of these areas vulnerable to further Ukrainian counterattacks. [38] ISW continues to assess that Ukrainian forces can contest the battlefield initiative and eventually set conditions to conduct both limited and eventually large-scale counteroffensive operations provided timely and appropriate Western security assistance. [39] The US and the international coalition supporting Ukraine retain significant influence over Ukrainian warfighting capabilities and Western decisions about Ukraine’s resourcing levels and rules of engagement regarding Russian military targets can substantially alter the trajectory of the war.

Ukraine continues efforts to attrit Russia's air defense and aviation capabilities. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that overnight on August 20 to 21, Ukrainian naval forces and other Ukrainian units conducted a coordinated strike with unspecified weapons and hit a Russian S-300 air defense system's position near Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov Oblast. [40] The Ukrainian General Staff noted that it is still clarifying the results of the strike but reported explosions near the S-300 site. Russian Rostov Oblast officials claimed that Russian air defense forces shot down an unspecified type of missile over Rostov Oblast early in the morning on August 21, and social media footage shows a fire at an oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk reportedly caused by debris from the downed missile. [41] A prominent Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ATACMS missile over Novoshakhtinsk, alleging that this is the first ATACMS strike against Russian territory. [42] ISW has not observed any visual evidence or additional reports of the purported use of ATACMS, however.

Russian opposition sources and milbloggers also claimed that Ukraine conducted a long-range drone strike against targets in Russia's far-northern Murmansk Oblast (nearly 2,000 kilometers away from Ukraine) on August 21. [43] Geolocated Russian social media footage shows Russian forces shooting down a small aircraft-type drone flying at low altitude over Vysokiy, Murmansk Oblast, and Russian sources claimed that this is the fourth day in a row that attack drones have been targeting Murmansk Oblast. [44] The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsya) temporarily restricted the airspace over the Murmansk and Apatity airports on August 21, likely due to the operation of drones in the airspace. [45] Several Russian sources speculated that the drones were targeting Olenya airfield, which is co-located with the village of Vysokiy and from which Russia launches Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bomber aircraft. [46] Ukrainian sources previously confirmed that Ukrainian long-range drones damaged a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber at Olenya on the night of July 26 to 27. [47] ISW has not observed visual evidence or official Ukrainian or Russian confirmation of drones impacting the Olenya airfield at the time of this publication, however.

Russian authorities may have attempted to block Telegram and other non-Russian internet communications services on August 21. Russian sources stated that Russian internet users reported outages of multiple internet communication, internet streaming, and telecommunication services on August 21. [48] Russian state media censor Roskomnadzor claimed that distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks caused the outages, but that it successfully repelled the attack. [49] Russian activist and Director of the Internet Defense Society Mikhail Klimarev told Russian opposition outlet Agentstvo Novosti that such outages usually occur when Russian authorities activate the "anti-messenger mode" and noted that similar outages occurred during the antisemitic pogroms in Dagestan Republic in November 2023, and during protests in the Sakha and Bashkortostan republics in January 2024. [50] Experts from Roskomsvoboda, an independent Russian organization that supports internet freedom and digital rights, told Agentstvo Novosti that a centralized impact likely caused the outages and assessed that Roskomnadzor attempted to block Telegram, which inadvertently blocked other internet-based services in Russia. The experts also noted that similar outages occurred in 2018 when Russian authorities tried to block Telegram. [51] Russian authorities have also been attempting to further censor the Russian information space by disconnecting Russia from the global internet, and also temporarily disconnected Russia at least partially from the global internet during a test of its “sovereign internet” system overnight on July 4–5, 2023. [52]

The Russian government is reportedly supporting a bill that would allow Russian authorities to draw up administrative protocols against Russian citizens who violate Russian law while living abroad. Kremlin-affiliated business outlet Kommersant reported on August 21 that the bill would allow the Russian government to charge Russian citizens living abroad under vague charges of extremism, abuse of freedom of speech, and discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. [53] Unnamed Russian lawyers told Kommersant that Russian courts have previously prosecuted Russian citizens living outside of Russia for social media posts under similar charges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and People's Republic of China (PRC) Premier Li Qiang discussed deepening bilateral economic and trade relations in Moscow on August 21. Putin stated that Russia and the PRC have jointly developed large-scale economic and humanitarian plans, and Li stated that the PRC is ready to develop a multifaceted mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia. [54] Li also met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on August 21, and they signed a joint communique that includes a plan for Russian–PRC investment cooperation and 15 other unspecified intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents. [55] Li also noted during his meeting with Mishustin that Russia and the PRC are increasing cooperation in the energy sector. [56]

  Key Takeaways:

• The Kremlin appears to have launched an intricate messaging campaign aimed at justifying to its domestic audience why Russia is prioritizing maintaining the initiative in eastern Ukraine over immediately expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast.
• Putin notably appears to be demanding that Russia defeat Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast without sacrificing the stability of his regime, deprioritizing the offensive in eastern Ukraine, or firing his incompetent but loyal lieutenants. The results of such a strategy are too early to forecast.
• Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations throughout the Kursk Oblast salient on August 21 and have made additional marginal advances.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Republic of Chechnya for the first time in 13 years on August 20, likely in an effort to shift domestic focus away from the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and posture normalcy and stability.
• Recent US intelligence assessments highlight Ukraine's efforts to develop alternative and asymmetric capabilities in the face of Russian manpower and materiel advantages, as well as Ukraine's continued dependence on Western security assistance.
• Ukraine continues efforts to attrit Russia's air defense and aviation capabilities.
• Russian authorities may have attempted to block Telegram and other non-Russian internet communications services on August 21.
• The Russian government is reportedly supporting a bill that would allow Russian authorities to draw up administrative protocols against Russian citizens who violate Russian law while living abroad.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and People's Republic of China (PRC) Premier Li Qiang discussed deepening bilateral economic and trade relations in Moscow on August 21.
• Russian forces recently advanced southeast of Pokrovsk, southwest of Donetsk City, and northeast of Robotyne.
• Russian occupation authorities continue to create Cossack organizations in occupied Ukraine, likely to build out Russia's military reserves and law enforcement bodies in occupied Ukraine.

We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting. We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas. We utterly condemn Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports.

• Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine (comprised of three subordinate main efforts)
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and encircle northern Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #3 – Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis
• Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign
• Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts
• Russian Technological Adaptations
• Activities in Russian-occupied areas
• Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Efforts

Russian Information Operations and Narratives

• Significant Activity in Belarus

Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Kharkiv Oblast ( Russian objective: Push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City)

Limited positional engagements continued in northern Kharkiv Oblast on August 21, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline. Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Vitaly Sarantsev noted that Russian forces have decreased their use of tactical aviation targeting Kharkiv Oblast in order to prioritize airstrikes in other areas of the theater and in Kursk Oblast. [57] Sarantsev also reported that a contingent of Russian forces remains blocked in the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant in Vovchansk (northeast of Kharkiv City), but that they are unable to attack their way out of the plant because Ukrainian forces control all logistics routes into and out of the plant. [58] Fighting continued north of Kharkiv City near Lyptsi and Hlyboke and in and around Vovchansk. [59] Elements of the Russian 11th Tank Regiment (18th Motorized Rifle Division, 11th Army Corps [AC], Leningrad Military District [LMD]) and 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment (11th AC, LMD) reportedly continue operating near Hlyboke and Lukyantsi (north of Kharkiv City and east of Hlyboke), respectively. [60]

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast)

Limited positional engagements continued along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on August 21, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces attacked northeast of Kupyansk near Synkivka; east of Kupyansk near Petropavlivka; southeast of Kupyansk near Stepova Novoselivka and Berestove; northwest of Svatove near Stelmakhivka; west of Svatove near Andriivka; southwest of Svatove near Serhiivka and Novoserhiivka; northwest of Kreminna near Novosadove, Makiivka, Hrekivka, and Torske; and southwest of Kreminna near Dibrova on August 20 and 21. [61] Elements of the Russian 144th Motorized Rifle Division (20th Combined Arms Army [CAA], Moscow Military District [MMD]) reportedly continue operating in the Lyman direction (west of Kreminna). [62]

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #3 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)

Russian forces continued limited offensive operations southeast of Siversk near Spirne and Vyimka and south of Siversk near Pereizne on August 20 and 21. [63]

Russian forces did not make confirmed advances in the Chasiv Yar direction amid ongoing offensive operations on August 20 and 21. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces continued offensive operations near Chasiv Yar; north of Chasiv Yar near Hryhorivka; southeast of Chasiv Yar near Ivanivske and Klishchiivka; and south of Chasiv Yar near Predtechyne on August 20 and 21. [64] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces consolidated their positions in the forest south of Hryhorivka (north of Chasiv Yar) in an area up to 2.36 kilometers wide and that elements of the Russian Sever-V Brigade (Russian Volunteer Corps) reportedly continued operating near Hryhorivka. [65] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces advanced southeast of Orikhovo-Vasylivka (northeast of Chasiv Yar), but ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim. [66]

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov claimed on August 21 that Russian forces seized Niu York (south of Toretsk), but Ukrainian military sources continue to report that Ukrainian forces still control 20 percent of the settlement. [67] Belousov credited elements of the Russian 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade (1st Donetsk People’s Republic Army Corps [DNR AC]) for the seizure of Niu York. [68] A source from a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Toretsk direction told Ukrainian outlet Suspilne that the situation in Niu York is very difficult because Russian forces are constantly attacking the settlement in small assault groups but that Ukrainian forces still control about 20 percent of Niu York. [69] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced in the fields northeast of Druzhba (east of Toretsk); in northwestern Pivnichne (east of Toretsk); and in eastern Toretsk. [70] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces launched assaults near Toretsk; southeast of Toretsk near Zalizne; south of Toretsk near Nelipivka and Niu York; and southwest of Toretsk near Panteleymonivka on August 20 and 21. [71] Belousov claimed on August 20 that elements of the Russian 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade and 1st Slavic Brigade (both 1st DNR AC) seized Zalizne. [72]

Russian forces recently advanced southeast of Pokrovsk and continued offensive operations in this direction on August 20 and 21. Geolocated footage published on August 20 shows that Russian forces advanced in northwestern Zhuravka (southeast of Pokrovsk), and some Russian milbloggers claimed that elements of the Russian 27th Motorized Rifle Division (2nd Combined Arms Army [CAA], Central Military District [CMD]) seized Zhuravka. [73] ISW had not observed visual evidence confirming Russian advances in the northwesternmost part of Zhuravka, nor to suggest that Russian forces control the entire settlement. Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced northeast of Hrodivka (east of Porkrovsk) and northeast of Novohrodivka, south of Mykolaivka, and north of Ptyche (all southeast of Pokrovsk). [74] Russian milbloggers also claimed that Russian forces seized Komyshivka (southeast of Pokrovsk) but ISW has not yet observed visual evidence confirming these milblogger claims. [75] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) retroactively announced on August 21 that the Russian Central Grouping of Forces (GoF) seized Zhelanne, and ISW assessed that Russian forces likely seized Zhelanne around August 18. [76] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces continued offensive operations east of Pokrovsk near Vozdvyzhenka, Zelene Pole, Myrolyubivka, Hrodivka, and Kalynove; and southeast of Pokrovsk near Mykolaivka, Novohrodivka, Mykhailivka, Ptyche, and Skuchne. [77] Elements of the Russian BARS-15 unit (Russian Combat Army Reserve) are reportedly operating in the Avdiivka direction, and a drone company of the ”Volga” Brigade is reportedly operating near Novohrodivka. [78]

Russian forces continued offensive operations west of Donetsk City near Krasnohorivka and Heorhiivka on August 20 and 21, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline in the area. [79]

Russian forces recently advanced southwest of Donetsk City amid continued assaults in the area on August 21. Geolocated footage published on August 20 and 21 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced north of Kostyantynivka and southeast of Vodyane (both northeast of Vuhledar). [80] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces are also advancing northwest of Paraskoviivka. [81] Russian forces also continued offensive operations near Pobieda on August 21. [82] A Russian milblogger noted that Russian forces recently advanced up to another area of O-0532 (T-0524) Vuhledar-Kostyantynivka highway near Vuhledar, which is consistent with ISW's assessment of Russian advances in the area. [83] Russian forces achieved their longstanding tactical objective of reaching the O-0532 highway and cutting the Ukrainian ground line of communication (GLOC) between Vuhledar and Kostyantynivka on August 2, although these advances have not significantly impacted Russian nor Ukrainian operations in the area in subsequent weeks. [84]

Neither Russian nor Ukrainian sources reported ground attacks in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area on August 21.

Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes)

Geolocated footage published on August 20 indicates that Russian forces have recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast to the southern outskirts of Luhivske (northeast of Robotyne). [85] Some Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces are preparing for offensive operations in Zaporizhia Oblast, with one milblogger claiming on the evening of August 20 that Ukrainian forces launched an offensive operation near Polohy (in central Zaporizhia Oblast east of Robotyne). [86] Former Roscosmos (Russian space agency) head and Zaporizhia Oblast occupation senator Dmitry Rogozin and several milbloggers denied claims of Ukrainian activation anywhere in Zaporizhia Oblast, however, and accused other Russian commentators of overhyping false information and creating panic in the information space. [87] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces attacked north of Robotyne near Novodanylivka and northeast of Robotyne near Mala Tokmachka on August 20 and 21. [88] Elements of BARS-32 (Russian Combat Army Reserve) are reportedly operating near Enerhodar (west of Robotyne), while elements of the 503rd Motorized Rifle Regiment (19th Motorized Rifle Division, 58th Combined Arms Army [CAA], Southern Military District [SMD]) and BARS-3 are operating in the general Zaporizhia Oblast direction. [89]

Russian forces continued unsuccessful ground attacks in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast on August 20 and 21 but did not make any confirmed advances. [90] Russian forces conducted drone, artillery, and air strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure in west bank Kherson Oblast. [91]

Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign (Russian Objective: Target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure in the rear and on the frontline)

Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of August 20 to 21. Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk reported that Russian forces launched two Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast, a Kh-59/69 cruise missile from the airspace over Kursk Oblast, and 69 Shahed-136/131 drones from Kursk Oblastand Yeysk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai. [92] Oleshchuk stated that Ukrainian forces shot down one Kh-59/69 missile and 50 Shahed drones over Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts. Oleshchuk added that 16 Shahed drones did not reach their targets and likely fell due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) suppression and that another Shahed drone flew from Chernihiv Oblast's airspace into Belgorod Oblast's airspace via Belarussian airspace. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that Ukrainian forces destroyed up to a dozen drones near Kyiv City. [93]

Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization)

Russian occupation authorities continue to create Cossack organizations in occupied Ukraine, likely to build out Russia's military reserves and law enforcement bodies in occupied Ukraine. Zaporizhia Oblast occupation administration head Yevgeny Balitsky announced on August 21 that Russian occupation authorities are attempting to recreate the "Zaporizhian Cossack Army" - in reference to the historical Zaporizhian Cossacks (which, ironically, fought against the Russian Empire to exist as an independent and democratic polity) - and will start registering Cossack societies in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast before the end of 2024. [94] Balitsky further claimed that the BARS-32 Detachment of the Sudoplatov Volunteer Battalion already operating in Zaporizhia Oblast is staffed with Cossacks. Kherson Oblast occupation administration head Vladimir Saldo also announced that occupied Kherson Oblast will start registering Cossack societies in October 2024. [95] Saldo claimed that over 18,000 Cossacks are currently fighting in Ukraine and that unspecified Cossack units are operating in occupied Kherson Oblast and on the occupied Kinburn Spit, Mykolaiv Oblast. Russian President Vladimir Putin notably signed a law in March 2024 that authorized members of the All-Russian Cossack Society who are in the Russian military and security services reserves to join the mobilization reserve, and Putin transferred control of the Cossack Cadet Corps to the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) in June 2024. [96]

Moscow City authorities are advertising their Military Service Consulting Center, which provides administrative and social services to Russians who signed military service contracts, amid recent reports that Moscow City is struggling to recruit military personnel. [97] Moscow's Military Service Consulting center advertises Russian military contract service and provides contract service personnel with travel and administrative assistance and provides accommodation and food to prospective personnel undergoing selection. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin recently claimed that 43,000 Muscovites are currently fighting in Ukraine and that another 23,000 Muscovites will deploy to Ukraine as volunteers by the end of 2024, although a source within Sobyanin's office told Russian opposition outlet Verstka that most of the recruits registered as being from Moscow actually originate from other regions of Russia. [98]

Russian opposition outlet Verstka reported that 48 high-ranking Russian military officials have resigned or been dismissed since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. [99] Verstka reported that 21 officials left offices within the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), including former Russian Defense Minister and current Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and six of his deputies. Verstka also noted that 13 of the 48 senior military officials held leadership positions within the Joint Grouping of Forces in Ukraine, that eight of them were military district commanders, and that five of them held main commands. Verstka reported that Russian authorities have opened criminal cases against at least seven of these officials.

The Russian MoD appointed Former CEO of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Goszagransobstvennost," Yevgeny Logvinov to the position of director of the MoD's Military Property Department. [100]

Russian Technological Adaptations (Russian objective: Introduce technological innovations to optimize systems for use in Ukraine)

Russia continues to find ways to incorporate US-produced electronic components into its weapons and censorship, and surveillance systems. Russian investigative outlet The Insider published a story on August 20 detailing how Russia is importing programmable logic devices (PLDs) for use in missile and drone navigation systems, internet content filtration, and facial recognition, many of which come from US companies. [101] The Insider noted that Russia is using Xilex and Altera integrated circuits, both products of American PLD manufacturers, in the navigation systems for Iskander and Kalibr missiles. The Insider also emphasized that Russia is able to import such PLDs despite extensive international sanctions, largely because many export companies are ignoring international embargoes.

Ukrainian Defense Industrial Efforts (Ukrainian objective: Develop its defense industrial base to become more self-sufficient in cooperation with US, European, and international partners)

ISW is suspending publishing coverage of Ukrainian defense industrial efforts until further notice.

Activities in Russian-occupied areas (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems)

ISW is not publishing coverage of activities in Russian-occupied areas today.

Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Chief Major General Vadym Skibitskyi reported on August 21 that Russian and pro-Russian actors are conducting an information operation aimed at discouraging Ukrainian refugees in the European Union (EU) from returning to Ukraine and degrading their Ukrainian identity. [102] Skibitskyi stated that pro-Russian journalists are distributing publications in Italy about supposed Ukrainian crimes against civilians in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Russian officials continue to seize on the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast as part of a long-standing Kremlin information operation that falsely portrays Ukraine as unwilling to engage in legitimate, good-faith negotiations and places the onus for peace negotiations on Ukraine. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev claimed on August 21 that Russia could have previously fallen into a "negotiation trap" by entering into "unnecessary peace negotiations" with Ukraine, but that the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast has clarified that Russia will not negotiate with Ukraine until Ukraine is "completely defeated." [103] Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast a priori cancels the possibility of peace negotiations. [104] ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin is only interested in a negotiated settlement that results in complete Ukrainian capitulation and that any Russian statements to the contrary are intended to delude the West into making pre-emptive concessions on Ukraine's sovereignty and territory integrity. [105]

Significant activity in Belarus (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus)

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported on August 21 that the head of the MoD's First Directorate of the Department of International Military Cooperation, Colonel Dmitry Ryabikhin, visited an unspecified People's Liberation Army (PLA) unit during his visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC). [106]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed Major General Igor Butkevich as First Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Border Committee due to Butkevich's age on August 21 and appointed Colonel Andrey Filatov as the new first deputy chairman. [107]

Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source, uses only publicly available information, and draws extensively on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports. References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update.

[1] https://meduza dot io/feature/2024/08/21/v-kremle-schitayut-chto-boi-v-kurskoy-oblasti-prodlyatsya-neskolko-mesyatsev-i-hotyat-ubedit-rossiyan-chto-eto-novaya-normalnost

[2] https://www.pravda dot com.ua/eng/news/2024/08/21/7471267/

[3] https://www.pravda dot com.ua/eng/news/2024/08/21/7471267/; https://t.me/cikrossii/3944

[4] https://meduza dot io/paragraph/2024/08/21/kursk-ne-slomit-kak-v-geroicheskom-1943-m-my-vse-ot-hipsterov-do-vatnikov-dolzhny-ob-edinitsya

[5] https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/180564

[6] https://meduza dot io/feature/2024/08/21/v-kremle-schitayut-chto-boi-v-kurskoy-oblasti-prodlyatsya-neskolko-mesyatsev-i-hotyat-ubedit-rossiyan-chto-eto-novaya-normalnost

[7] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/assessing-significance-current-russian-and-ukrainian-operations-course-war

[8] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-7-2024

[9] https://meduza dot io/feature/2024/08/21/v-kremle-schitayut-chto-boi-v-kurskoy-oblasti-prodlyatsya-neskolko-mesyatsev-i-hotyat-ubedit-rossiyan-chto-eto-novaya-normalnost

[10] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-26-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-12-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-10-2024

[11] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/putin-vulnerable-western-policy-masks-russian-weakness

[12] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-30-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-12-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-24-2023

[13] https://t.me/ukr_sof/1183; https://t.me/kiber_boroshno/9623 ; https://t.me/WarArchive_ua/19046 ; https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/180535 ; https://x.com/666_mancer/status/1826175406610829766

[14] https://t.me/ukr_sof/1183; https://t.me/motopatriot/26477

[15] https://t.me/VARYAGI_155/105 ; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1826198757483896954 ; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1826222767802351867 ; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1826225646197952718 ; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1826233665426456948 ; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1826236574507679841; https://x.com/giK1893/status/1826214202534437305; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6464

[16] https://t.me/rusich_army/16657

[17] https://t.me/dva_majors/50276

[18] https://t.me/morpexiMO/6306 ; https://x.com/franfran2424/status/1826200674851344588 ; https://x.com/GNovosibir79446/status/1826192342170189845; https://x.com/moklasen/status/1826202988295127510; https://x.com/moklasen/status/1826202992103539130; https://t.me/morpexiMO/6306; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6462

[19] https://x.com/moklasen/status/1826296192013304096; https://t.me/khornegroup/2556

[20] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14331; https://t.me/motopatriot/26459; https://t.me/motopatriot/26447; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58401; https://t.me/philologist_zov/1260

[21] https://t.me/dva_majors/50306 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75284 ; https://t.me/s/NgP_raZVedka ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/134360 ; https://t.me/mobilizationnews/19905

[22] https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1826295667318280343; https://t.me/rusich_army/16669

[23] https://t.me/astrapress/62346 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/50306; https://x.com/AudaxonX/status/1825990685901615544 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/50231; https://t.me/control_sigma/33709 ; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14319

[24] http://kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74906

[25] http://kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74904

[26] https://isw.pub/UkrWar103023 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar122023 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar033024

[27] http://kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74904

[28] https://isw.pub/UkrWar081624 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar081924 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar081424

[29] https://media.defense.gov/2024/Aug/16/2003527561/-1/-1/1/OAR_Q3_JUN2024_FINAL_508.PDF

[30] https://media.defense.gov/2024/Aug/16/2003527561/-1/-1/1/OAR_Q3_JUN2024_FINAL_508.PDF

[31] https://isw.pub/UkrWar061524 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar042024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar041924 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar020924 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-2-2024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar041924 ; https://www.ft.com/content/daa1a6ad-9ada-42ba-bfb2-2c199118e904 ; https://archive.ph/7LGbR

[32] https://isw.pub/UkrWar060724

[33] https://isw.pub/UkrWar072524 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar073024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar052124 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar031224 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar121623 ;

[34] https://isw.pub/UkrWar071624 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar071424 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-9-2024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar042324 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar040824 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar032024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-29-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-21-2024

[35] https://media.defense.gov/2024/Aug/16/2003527561/-1/-1/1/OAR_Q3_JUN2024_FINAL_508.PDF

[36] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-17-2024

[37] https://isw.pub/UkrWar071224

[38] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-17-2024

[39] https://isw.pub/UkrWar072424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar072024

[40] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0xJoc2FgD5hUcErqdGSmku86d2jBJSLAp22DNCGhaDHtvNVkjW5hVySfgxy9PRMbJl

[41] h ttps://t.me/andriyshTime/26252 ; https://t.me/vrogov/17127 ; https://x.com/666_mancer/status/1826251220308430880 ; https://vk.com/wall-90644414_39836 ; https://t.me/golubev_vu/1494 ; https://t.me/golubev_vu/1495 ; https://t.me/etorostov/62864 ; https://t.me/vchkogpu/50118

[42] https://t.me/rybar/62951

[43] https://t.me/sotaproject/85660 ; https://t.me/astrapress/62407; https://t.me/milinfolive/128915

[44] https://t.me/VGrudina/2794 ; https://x.com/666_mancer/status/1826270072307855362 https://x.com/666_mancer/status/1826292246460711184 ; https://x.com/Grimm_Intel/status/1826270127722996150; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58419 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58417 ; https://t.me/milinfolive/128912%20;%20https:/t.me/milinfolive/128915

[45] https://t.me/tass_agency/267622 ; https://t.me/sotaproject/85664

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[47] https://suspilne dot media/800159-droni-gur-atakuvali-npz-vijskovi-aerodromi-rf-i-poskodili-nadzvukovij-bombarduvalnik-dzerela/ ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/07/27/chorni-dni-rosijskoyi-aviacziyi-detali-atak-na-obyekty-v-tylu-rf/

[48] https://t.me/tass_agency/267588 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/267597 ; https://meduza dot io/feature/2024/08/21/v-rossii-perestali-otkryvatsya-telegram-whatsapp-steam-discord-i-mnogie-drugie-servisy-chto-proishodit-neponyatno

[49] https://t.me/tass_agency/267601

[50] https://t.me/agentstvonews/7046

[51] https://meduza dot io/short/2020/06/18/dva-goda-popytok-blokirovki-telegram-v-rossii-kak-eto-bylo

[52] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-7-2023

[53] https://www.kommersant dot ru/doc/6905653 ; https://www.vesti dot ru/article/4103600; https://meduza dot io/feature/2024/08/21/vlasti-smogut-privlekat-uehavshih-rossiyan-po-politicheskim-statyam-koap-a-razve-ranshe-ne-privlekali-ili-teper-oni-budut-delat-eto-chasche

[54] http://kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74910

[55] https://t.me/tass_agency/267576

[56] https://t.me/tass_agency/267528

[57] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/21/na-harkivskomu-napryamku-rosiyany-zmenshyly-zastosuvannya-taktychnoyi-aviacziyi/

[58] https://suspilne dot media/817997-zsu-kontroluut-93-naseleni-punkti-v-kurskij-oblasti-trivae-evakuacia-z-pokrovska-910-den-vijni-onlajn/?anchor=live_1724252042&utm_source=copylink&utm_medium=ps; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/08/21/v-otu-harkiv-rozpovily-pro-stanovyshhe-okupantiv-na-agregatnomu-zavodu-u-vovchansku/

[59] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://t.me/wargonzo/21670

[60] https://t.me/otukharkiv/841

[61] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l

[62] https://t.me/vysokygovorit/17012

[63] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl

[64] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl

[65] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75309; https://t.me/voin_dv/10389

[66] https://t [dot] me/motopatriot/26441

[67] https://t.me/mod_russia/42426 ; https://suspilne dot media/817997-zsu-kontroluut-93-naseleni-punkti-v-kurskij-oblasti-trivae-evakuacia-z-pokrovska-910-den-vijni-onlajn/?anchor=live_1724242209&utm_source=copylink&utm_medium=ps

[68] https://t.me/mod_russia/42426

[69] https://suspilne dot media/817997-zsu-kontroluut-93-naseleni-punkti-v-kurskij-oblasti-trivae-evakuacia-z-pokrovska-910-den-vijni-onlajn/?anchor=live_1724242209&utm_source=copylink&utm_medium=ps

[70] https://t [dot] me/z_arhiv/27719; https://t.me/rybar/62934 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75309; https://t.me/dva_majors/50276; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/134415

[71] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl

[72] https://t.me/mod_russia/42396

[73] https://t.me/dva_majors/50276 ; https://t.me/motopatriot/26417; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75278

[74] https://t [dot] me/z_arhiv/27717; https://t [dot] me/boris_rozhin/134415; https://t [dot] me/z_arhiv/27715; https://t [dot] me/motopatriot/26443; https://t [dot] me/boris_rozhin/134415

[75] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75281 ; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14318; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/134415

[76] https://t.me/mod_russia/42412 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-19-2024

[77] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl

[78] https://t.me/ButusovPlus/12923 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58405 ; https://t.me/motopatriot/26423

[79] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl ; https://t.me/wargonzo/21670 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58402

[80] https://x.com/PuenteUribarri/status/1826153970517029174; https://x.com/klinger66/status/1826174132343517470; https://x.com/klinger66/status/1826188895937020218; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6461 ; https://t.me/odshbr79/304; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6452

[81] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14324 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/134415 ; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27713

[82] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02mbcfj2CsF4Zev5JUw6tqFFzHABZsE9uVBhz9tSKev7YcfT8NvQUYajTna6B7vAUQl

[83] https://t.me/motopatriot/26456

[84] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-2-2024

[85] https://t.me/operativnoZSU/154906; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6459

[86] https://t.me/romanov_92/45062; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14310; https://t.me/sashakots/48517; https://t.me/sashakots/48517

[87] https://t.me/rogozin_do/6326; https://t.me/NgP_raZVedka/18763 ; https://t.me/NgP_raZVedka/18762; https://t.me/NgP_raZVedka/18765; https://t.me/dva_majors/50271 ; https://t.me/romanov_92/45062

[88] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l ; https://t.me/SJTF_Odes/11036

[89] https://t.me/orly_rs/5549;

[90] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02KwX54hpu7qM9kdUS9qLQhEGJavR3XHNSBMNzsBeoh6Q6oH644FBij6cnaZVo2Cssl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02F1pqeXSUWGYRQ1xdb5t2uwAyf9GudeWCy3oNHFZvP775hNmxQpgwqVTfYVPgbnD6l; https://t.me/SJTF_Odes/11036

[91] https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23489; https://t.me/olexandrprokudin/4265; https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23488; https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23482; https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23468; https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23467; https://t.me/khersonskaODA/23459; https://t.me/olexandrprokudin/4268

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Ukraine war latest: Vladimir Putin 'has made decision' on responding to Kursk invasion

Vladimir Putin has "made a decision" and there will be "severe punishment" following Ukraine's incursion into Russia, according to the Russian ambassador to the US. Elsewhere, Russia has been forced to suspend a ferry service to Crimea following a Ukrainian attack.

Friday 23 August 2024 18:44, UK

• Putin has 'made decision' on responding to Kursk invasion
• Russia suspends ferry service to Crimea after Ukrainian attack
• Moscow strengthening offensive towards key strategic hub
• Russian snipers kill prisoners who took hostages at penal colony
• Your questions answered : Is there a larger response to come from Russia over the Kursk invasion?
• Live reporting by Samuel Osborne

We're ending our live coverage of the Ukraine war for now.

We will return with any major developments this evening, but if not we'll be back soon with all the latest updates.

Here is a reminder of today's key events:

• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down for talks with Russia to end the war as the two leaders met in Kyiv;
• Russia accused Ukraine of trying to attack a nuclear power plant in an overnight drone attack;
• The Wagner mercenary group has become "increasingly fragmented" in the year since its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and founder Dmitry Utkin were killed in a plane crash, according to the UK Ministry of Defence;
• Germany is investigating suspected drone espionage after drones were flown over several industrial sites;
• Ukrainian forces claimed they have recaptured nearly two square kilometres of territory in the northeastern Kharkiv region;
• Russian snipers killed four prisoners at a penal colony who seized prison guards as hostages and declared allegiance to the Islamic State - all hostages were freed, local media reports said;
• Moscow suspended a ferry service operating between its southern territory and Crimea following a Ukrainian attack.

Russia has reportedly reinforced troops in its push for the key Ukrainian strategic hub of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region.

Although Moscow has been redeploying troops from other regions in Ukraine back to Russia in order to head off a Ukrainian incursion, it has not redeployed troops from its offensive towards the city but has instead reinforced them, according to The Economist.

Russian forces have been pushing towards the key strategic hub for months.

Capturing the city would compromise Kyiv's defensive abilities and supply routes, and bring Russia closer to its stated aim of controlling the entire Donetsk region.

Earlier, our military analyst Sean Bell answered a reader's question on whether there is a response to come from Russia over the Kursk invasion - and he said Moscow might focus on its offensive towards Pokrovsk. 

You can read more on that below...

We brought you reports earlier that prisoners at a Russian penal colony had taken prison staff hostage and killed one person. 

Local news outlets now say snipers from Russia's national guard have killed the four hostage-takers.

The National Guard Service said the inmates were "neutralised" and all hostages freed, the reports said, though the number of hostages was not specified.

Before the inmates were shot, state news agency TASS said four victims were taken to a local hospital, with two of them in serious condition.

Unconfirmed reports on the Telegram messaging app said one or two people had died.

A video filmed by the attackers showed four uniformed officials lying in pools of blood - three of them motionless. Another was sitting upright in a doorway with a knife held to his neck.

One man shouted that they were Islamic State militants and had seized control of the prison in the Volgograd region.

Other videos showed four men pacing about a prison yard where a bloodied prison staff member was being held hostage.

One of the prisoners appeared to have an improvised explosive vest while the others were carrying knives and hammers.

Russian media said the four suspects were citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and three were in jail for drug offences and the fourth for unpremeditated murder.

The United States has added 105 Russian and Chinese firms to a trade restriction list for allegedly supporting the Russian military, ramping up pressure on Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine.

The 63 Russian and 42 Chinese companies, along with 18 from other countries, were targeted for several reasons, from sending US electronics to Russian military-related parties to producing thousands of Shahed-136 drones for Moscow to use in Ukraine.

Being added to the entity list means US suppliers will have to apply for a hard-to-get licence if they want to ship to the targeted companies.

Many of the firms were also given a special designation forcing overseas suppliers to get the same US licences before shipping to the targeted companies.

Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to attack a nuclear power plant in an overnight drone attack.

It is the second time Moscow has made such allegations in two days.

The nuclear plant is located in the Kursk region in western Russia, where fighting has raged since Kyiv's forces launched an incursion into Russian territory.

The Ukrainian defence ministry is yet to comment on the Russian allegation.

Meanwhile the Russian defence ministry said its air defence units had shot down three Ukrainian drones in the region overnight. 

It said it had thwarted Kyiv's attempt to carry out "a terrorist attack" against Russian facilities.

Russian state news agency TASS reported a drone had been shot down near a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at the Kursk power plant.

TASS quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova as saying it was an "act of nuclear terrorism" requiring an immediate response from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi is due to visit the power plant next week and has appealed for maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident.

The Wagner mercenary group has become "increasingly fragmented" in the year since its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and founder Dmitry Utkin were killed in a plane crash, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

"In comparison to its peak personnel count of around 50,000 in 2023, Wagner now highly likely maintains around 5,000 total personnel across its residual deployments in Belarus and Africa," the MoD said in its latest update.

Prigozhin and Utkin were among 10 killed when their plane crashed north of Moscow one year ago today under mysterious circumstances.

It came two months to the day after the Wagner boss led a short-lived mutiny against Russia's military top brass, mounting the most serious challenge against Vladimir Putin since he came to power in 1999.

The Wagner group was formed of ex-convicts and mercenaries and played a key role on the battlefield in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It has also been active in conflicts in Syria, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya.

The MoD also shared a map of the latest battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine:

Germany is investigating suspected drone espionage after drones were flown over several industrial sites.

Yesterday prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into repeated drone flights over critical infrastructure in northern Germany which they said were suspected of spying for sabotage purposes.

The German military's Territorial Command said it had complied with a police request to provide radar data on the suspicious drone flights.

German chemicals group Covestro and Swiss cement maker Holcim are among a group of chemical, energy and logistics companies that have operations in the ChemCoast Park industrial area in Brunsbuttel, in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Yesterday German newspaper Bild cited state criminal police saying the drones were likely to have been Russian Orlan-10s, which have a range of 500-600km (310-372 miles) and can fly at over 62mph (100kph).

Germany has been one of Ukraine's biggest suppliers of military aid since Russia invaded in 2022 and has been on increased alert over sabotage activity.

Narendra Modi has urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down for talks with Russia to end the war.

The Indian prime minister told the Ukrainian president he would act as a "friend" to help bring peace, as the two leaders met in Kyiv.

Mr Modi said he had come to the Ukrainian capital with a message of peace.

"The road to resolution can only be found through dialogue and diplomacy, and we should move in that direction without wasting any time. Both sides should sit together to find a way out of this crisis," Mr Modi said.

"I want to assure you that India is ready to play an active role in any efforts towards peace. If I can play any role in this personally, I will do that. I want to assure you as a friend."

Mr Modi said India had not been neutral or a bystander during the conflict and was always on the side of peace.

New Delhi has so far avoided condemning Russia's invasion and Mr Zelenskyy previously criticised Mr Modi for his visit to Moscow in July, chiding him for hugging Vladimir Putin during their meeting.

Readers have been sending in their questions to our senior correspondents and military experts for their take on the changing battlefield environment.

Today, Thomas Heavner asks:

Should the fact that there has been no direct response from Putin militarily regarding the Ukraine incursion into Russia signal a larger more catastrophic response to come from Russia? Or is this just "how they're playing it"?

Military analyst Sean Bell  answers:

When Ukraine first launched its audacious incursion into Russian territory over a fortnight ago, some commentators were concerned that the attack would provoke a swift and ruthless response from Vladimir Putin.  However, over a fortnight into Ukraine's military operation, it now appears that Russia has struggled to develop a coherent response, and Ukraine maintains the initiative.

The Ukrainian operation appears to have been well planned, and Ukraine has capitalised on its initial success by reinforcing its forces and pushing deeper into Russia.  Although Ukraine has not declared the objectives of this dynamic operation, it appears that Volodymyr Zelenskyy  was seeking to seize the initiative, bolster Ukrainian morale, and provoke a military response from Russia that would relieve pressure on an embattled Ukrainian frontline in the Donbas.   

Mr Putin was clearly frustrated at the Ukrainian incursion, but a ruthless Russian military response was only one option. Ukraine is short of military capability - soldiers and weapons - and it appears that they have deployed up to 10,000 soldiers (probably battle-hardened) into Russian territory. This "fixes" these Ukrainian forces well away from the frontline Russian action in the Donbas. 

Mr Putin knows that progress on the frontline will slow when winter arrives, so his forces have perhaps 10 to 12 weeks remaining to achieve the objectives of his so-called Special Military Operation. By focusing on Russian main effort in the Donbas, Mr Putin knows that Ukraine has diluted the forces available to resist the Russian assault towards Pokrovsk, which might enable greater progress in the limited time available.   

Once Russia's objectives in the Donbas have been achieved, Mr Putin might consider that he can address the Kursk incursion in slower time.

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How Did Mpox Become a Global Emergency? What’s Next?

The virus is evolving, and the newest version spreads more often through heterosexual populations. Sweden reported the first case outside Africa.

• Share full article

By Apoorva Mandavilli

Apoorva Mandavilli covered the 2022 mpox outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Faced once again with a rapidly spreading epidemic of mpox, the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a global health emergency. The last time the W.H.O. made that call was in 2022, when the disease was still called monkeypox.

Ultimately the outbreak affected nearly 100,000 people worldwide, primarily gay and bisexual men, including more than 32,000 in the United States.

The W.H.O.’s decision this time was prompted by an escalating crisis of mpox concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It recently spread to a dozen other African countries. If it is not contained, the virus again may rampage all over the world, experts warned.

On Thursday, Sweden reported the first case of a deadlier form of mpox outside Africa , in a person who had traveled to the continent. “Occasional imported cases like the current one may continue to occur,” the country’s public health agency warned.

“There’s a need for concerted effort by all stakeholders, not only in Africa, but everywhere else,” Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a Nigerian scientist and chair of the W.H.O.’s mpox emergency committee, said on Wednesday.

Congo alone has reported 15,600 mpox cases and 537 deaths, most of them among children under 15, indicating that the nature of the disease and its mode of spread may have changed.

Here’s what to know.

Is this the virus we saw in 2022?

This is a different version of the mpox virus.

Mpox is a close relative of the smallpox virus. There are two main types: Clade I, the version that is dominant in Congo, and Clade II, a form of which caused the 2022 global outbreak. (A clade is a genetically and clinically distinct group of viruses.)

Clade I mpox is generally thought to cause more severe illness and to have a much higher mortality rate, which is one reason the W.H.O. is sounding the alarm now. Officials hope to contain this outbreak before it spreads to other continents.

The infection may resemble an ordinary respiratory illness at first but later blooms into a raised rash in the mouth, hands, feet or genitals. The virus spreads mainly through close contact — directly with the skin or fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated bed linens and other items.

Scientists learned during the 2022 outbreak that mpox can spread even in the absence of symptoms. And the rash may be mistaken for other diseases such as measles or chickenpox, particularly in young children.

Who is getting infected this time?

In the 2022 outbreak, mpox spread globally mainly among gay and bisexual men. Behavioral changes in that community helped to contain the virus, and vaccination at the time, or now, will help protect them.

Until recently, most cases in Congo resulted from consumption of contaminated meat or close contact with infected animals and people. But last year, scientists discovered a new subtype of mpox, Clade Ib, which appears to spread from person to person primarily through heterosexual transmission .

Most cases have been observed in prostitutes, truckers and other transient workers.

“Sex is probably the primary driver, and then the secondary driver is close contact and households,” said Dr. Jay Varma, the chief medical officer at SIGA Technologies, which manufactures tecovirimat, a drug used to treat mpox infection.

As with many other infections, most people with healthy immune systems are unlikely to become severely ill with mpox. Those who have weakened immune systems, including those living with H.I.V., are at highest risk of severe illness and death .

Older adults, who are typically more susceptible to infections, may be at least somewhat protected by their childhood vaccinations for smallpox, which ended in the United States in 1972.

Most of the deaths in Congo have been in children under 15, perhaps because their health may already be compromised by poor medical care, malnutrition and the many other pathogens they face.

Has the outbreak spread to the United States or Europe?

Many countries worldwide, including the United States, have continued to see patients with Clade IIb mpox, the version that caused the 2022 outbreak.

So far this year, there have been about 1,657 cases of mpox in the United States, more than double the number at this time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Just one case of the more severe Clade I infection has been reported in Europe — in Sweden, in a person who had traveled to Africa. Other so-called “imported” cases seem likely. But experts tend to worry more about community transmission.

“I don’t think the risk right now for Americans is high at all, but what this is telling us is that we have to be vigilant,” said Dr. Trish Perl, an infectious disease physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

But previous epidemics, including of mpox, illustrate that an uncontrolled outbreak anywhere in the world may eventually turn up everywhere, Dr. Varma said. Since December, the C.D.C. has twice warned clinicians and the general public to remain alert for signs of mpox.

“I really think it’s only a matter of time before North America, Europe, etc., start to see cases,” he said, referring to the deadlier viral subtype. “Unless we invest in disease control everywhere, we’re going to remain always at risk.”

Will the vaccine still protect against mpox?

Two doses of the mpox vaccine Jynneos should protect against all versions of the virus, experts said.

Jynneos, made by Bavarian Nordic, was used in 2022 in the United States and Europe. The vaccine, initially developed against smallpox, should protect against mpox and all other members of that virus family, said Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases physician at Emory University in Atlanta.

Several studies have shown that antibodies prompted by the Jynneos vaccine wane and may be undetectable within a year. But other research has found that two doses effectively prevent severe illness , Dr. Titanji said.

In the United States, however, fewer than one in four people for whom vaccination was recommended got two doses.

“People were less interested in coming back and getting that second dose, or even starting the course of their vaccination,” Dr. Titanji said. “Maybe we will see an increase in uptick in vaccination, and this will serve as a reminder for people to come in and get vaccinated.”

In 2022, the federal government provided the shots at no cost. Jynneos is now commercially available, and some insurance companies may cover the cost.

For some patients, the shots may prove too expensive , Dr. Perl said. If mpox cases were to escalate, the U.S. government may again make the shots available free of charge, according to a federal official with knowledge of the situation.

Is the U.S. prepared for another bout with mpox?

Yes and no.

Scientists learned a lot about the virus in 2022 and have identified vaccines and treatments. But they do not fully understand how the deadlier virus is spreading in Africa, especially among children, or who is most at risk.

“This is very, very crucial when you think about designing a response strategy,” Dr. Titanji said.

There are few resources allocated to fighting sexually transmitted infections in the United States, said David Harvey, the executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

Officials have not solved the problems that hobbled the response in 2022, including poor uptake of the vaccine and “a shockingly underfunded S.T.I. public health system,” Mr. Harvey said.

“Today, we worry about an mpox outbreak,” he added. “We’re already dealing with syphilis, and tomorrow there will be another outbreak of an S.T.I.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of U.S. mpox cases so far in 2024. It is 1,657, not 740.

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Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter focused on science and global health. She was a part of the team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the pandemic. More about Apoorva Mandavilli