The Ukrainian army is advancing further in the Kursk region. But troops also now appear to be on the move in the Belgorod region.
Kiev, Moscow – Ukrainian troops have reportedly entered another Russian border region. According to information from social media and video footage, Ukrainian units may have advanced more than ten kilometers into Russian territory. The situation in the region has led to thousands of civilians being evacuated from the districts around the city of Sudzha. On Saturday, the intelligence service Telegram published a video allegedly showing Ukrainian troops in the Belgorod region further north.
In view of the advance of the Ukrainian army in the western Russian border region of Kursk, the authorities there say they have brought more than 76,000 people to safety. Russian and Ukrainian troops fought for the fifth day in a row on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the offensive for the first time and said that Kiev was trying to “shift” the war to Russia. The Russian authorities announced anti-terrorist operations in three border regions.
Selenskyj confirms shift of war to Russia
Kiev had remained silent on the move for several days, but on Saturday evening Zelensky finally said that Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky had “reported on the front, our actions and on the shift of the war to the territory of the aggressor.” Ukraine was thus proving that it could “create justice and put pressure on the aggressor,” Zelensky said in his evening speech and thanked the soldiers involved.
“More than 76,000 people have been temporarily housed in safe places,” the state news agency quoted Cup a representative of the region’s emergency management ministry. Additional trains were deployed to the capital Moscow for the refugees, and relief supplies were brought to the border region.
Meanwhile, the Russian authorities announced the start of anti-terrorist operations in the three border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk. This gives the security forces and army extensive powers. Citizens’ freedom of movement is restricted, vehicles can be confiscated, telephone conversations can be tapped and certain areas can be closed to access.
Russia launches anti-terrorist operations in border regions of Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk
In response to developments in the war in Ukraine, the Russian authorities announced the start of an anti-terrorist operation in the Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions on Friday. The Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee, headed by FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, stated that these measures were due to the “unprecedented attempt by Ukraine to destabilize the situation in several regions of our country.” The Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Saturday that it was using aircraft and artillery to combat the Ukrainian military on Russian territory. The Russian General Staff had initially stated that more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers, a dozen tanks and about 20 other armored vehicles had entered the Kursk region. On Saturday, the Russian military announced that it had destroyed five times the amount of Ukrainian military equipment.
Ukraine war: Fighting in Kursk claims lives – Belarus reinforces troops on Ukrainian border
According to Russian authorities on Tuesday Five people were killed and 55 others injured in the fighting in Kursk. Ukraine said it had evacuated 20,000 people from the Sumy region bordering Kursk. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, authorities said three people were killed on Saturday.
Belarus, an ally of Russia, announced that it would strengthen its units on the Ukrainian border. In order to be prepared for “any possible provocation”, additional troops and missiles would be sent to the southern border region of Gomel, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on the online service Telegram known.
Kursk: Rosatom warns of “real” danger of Ukrainian attacks on nuclear power plant
The Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom warned that the danger of attacks by the Ukrainian army on the nuclear power plant in Kursk was “real”. “The actions of the Ukrainian army represent a direct threat,” Rosatom said, according to state media. The Kursk nuclear power plant is located near the city of Kurchatov, which is about 100 kilometers from the Russian border with Ukraine. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, also warned of the danger and called on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint” to avoid a nuclear accident. (dpa/jal)
#Ukraine #advances #Kursk #Belgorod #attacks #Russian #soil