Russia’s Kursk region has declared a state of emergency as a result of the ongoing, unusual cross-border attack by Ukrainian forces on Wednesday.
As stated by Alexei Smirnov, the acting regional governor, the action was required “to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region”.
Since the beginning of the incursion, at least five civilians have died and 31 have been injured, six of them children, according to Russian officials.
Ukraine has not made an official statement, therefore it is unknown how deep the intrusion has gone.
Up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, along with over 20 armored combat vehicles and 11 tanks, invaded Russia early on Tuesday morning, according to Moscow. The entry took place close to the town of Sudzha.
There were reports of fights in several villages on Tuesday, prompting the local government to order people to restrict their travel and cancel all public events.
Numerous air alarms were sent out from Kursk, and footage that was uploaded online and confirmed by the BBC showed fighter jets flying low over the area while smoke was rising from nearby towns.
According to Mr. Smirnov, medics were being sent in from neighboring cities and thousands of people were evacuated from border areas.
Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, excursions by Ukrainians into Russian territory have become incredibly infrequent.
Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of parliament for Ukraine, stated on Wednesday night that the Ukrainian army has taken control of the Sudzha gas hub, a significant gas infrastructure used in the natural gas transit from Russia to the EU via Ukraine that has persisted despite the conflict.
It is the sole entrance point for Russian gas into the European Union.
Mr. Honcharenko’s response was the first indication of a Ukrainian official’s entrance into Russian territory, even though the BBC hasn’t confirmed the report.
On Facebook, Mr. Honcharenko stated that the incursion would demonstrate to “Europeans and Americans that… Russia can and needs to be attacked,” even though he was unsure of the “plan” behind it.
One of Andrei Belousov’s first significant leadership challenges as Russia’s new defense minister will be how the government responds militarily to the incursion. Belousov took over for the long-serving Sergei Shoigu in May.
Mr. Honcharenko continued, “From a military point of view, we are trying to take back the initiative,” in an interview with the BBC’s Newshour.
“We are showing the world that the world should not be scared of escalation or the reaction of Putin. There is no reaction,” he said.
“For the first time since the Second World War, Russian territory that is internationally recognised is occupied and Putin did not [turn] to nukes and so on.”
He added that the incursion will compel Russia to send soldiers there, which should reduce the amount of attacks it is able to launch into eastern Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded lukewarmly, stating that the US was unaware of the attack beforehand and that it intended to get in touch with the Ukrainian military “to learn more about their objectives”.
Ms. Jean-Pierre stated in a statement on Wednesday that Washington will keep making sure that Kiev has the resources necessary “to defend themselves against Russia’s aggression”..
‘Heavy’ fighting in Sudzha
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of starting a “major provocation” and “firing indiscriminately” at civilian facilities and residences during a televised meeting with government officials on Wednesday.
According to Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Russian forces are “continuing to destroy the adversary in areas directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border” after the “advance” into the Kursk region was halted.
According to Mr. Gerasimov, Russia has already claimed the lives of 100 troops and injured 215 more as Ukrainian forces attempted to seize control of the region surrounding the town of Sudzha.
The reality on the ground, according to certain well-known and normally knowledgeable pro-war Telegram channels, may not be as stable as what the Kremlin claimed.
Blogger Yuri Kotenok described the battles taking place in Sudzha and nearby Korenevo as “heavy”, while the channel Rybar said that the situation in the area around Sudzha was “continuing to deteriorate” and Ukrainian formations were advancing towards the town. The BBC is unable to verify these claims.
The influential pro-war Rybar Telegram channel went on to strongly criticise the highest ranks of the Russian military on Wednesday, saying that “for two months the full information was sent to the useless headquarters”, adding that there was enough time “to make an appropriate decision”.
Rybar’s concerns were echoed by several other pro-war bloggers, who are very popular with Russian readers. They often offer a more critical perspective of military developments than the Kremlin, without questioning whether or not the war is necessary.
The Russian National Guard said it had strengthened the security of the Kursk nuclear power plant, which lies some 70km (43 miles) north-east of Sudzha.
In its latest report, the Institute for the Study of War said geolocated footage from the past two days show that Ukrainian armoured vehicles have advanced to positions 10km into the Kursk region.
In the Belgorod region, which neighbours Kursk, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also issued missile attack warnings throughout Tuesday and said several people had been injured in Ukrainian air attacks.
On Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian region of Sumy, Volodymyr Artyukh, ordered the evacuation of the areas that border Kursk.
One colonel in Ukraine’s military, Vladislav Seleznyov, told the prominent Nexta channel the attack was “preventative”, with an estimated 75,000 Russian troops continuing to gather close to the border.
Following Russia’s significant cross-border invasion into the northeastern Kharkiv region in May, there were concerns that Moscow may try a similar operation into the Sumy region further north.
It’s possible that those goals have been temporarily dashed since Ukraine appears to be taking control of a number of towns and routes in the opposite direction.
However, given that Ukrainian forces are already overmanned and overextended, several military analysts are doubting the viability of these kinds of cross-border raids.
This is not the first time fighters with bases in Ukraine have invaded Russia. Last year, certain anti-Kremlin Russian factions attempted raids, but they were repulsed.
In March, the forces once again entered the Belgorod and Kursk districts, fighting Russian security forces.
While many of Kyiv’s ground soldiers have been subjected to ceaseless attacks in the eastern Donbas region, Russia has been gradually gaining ground in eastern Ukraine over the past few months.
According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of defense intelligence for Ukraine, the major Russian offensive “is expected to be over in a month and a half to two months” in a recent interview. (BBC)
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