Russia on Saturday said its authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people from its border region and launched a “counter-terror operation” after Ukrainian units in its largest offensive in the two-and-a-half-year since the conflict began, stormed across the border earlier this week .
Ukrainian troops reportedly have advanced several kilometers, prompting Russia to deploy additional reserves and equipment, though specific details on the forces involved have not been disclosed by either side.
Local officials quoted by AFP reported that over 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated from towns and villages near the conflict zone. Emergency aid is being delivered to the border area, and extra trains to Moscow have been arranged for those fleeing the fighting.
‘Pressure on the aggressor’
Kyiv has kept details of its offensive closely guarded, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy making only indirect references. However in Saturday’s address, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian forces were fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and said the operation was part of Kyiv’s drive to restore justice after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The president referred to his army chief’s briefings “on the frontline and our actions and pushing the war into the aggressor’s territory”.
“Ukraine is proving that it can really bring justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed — pressure on the aggressor,” AFP quoted him as saying.
Russia’s military acknowledged that Ukrainian forces initially crossed the border with approximately 1,000 troops, 20 armored vehicles, and 11 tanks, which the Russians claim to have destroyed equipment totaling five times the amount that Ukraine initially deployed.
Russia’s national anti-terrorism committee announced it was launching “counter-terror operations” in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions to safeguard citizens. These regions, which border Ukraine, have experienced significant shelling and aerial attacks since Russia’s offensive began in February 2022. The committee also condemned Ukraine’s actions as an “unprecedented attempt to destabilize” several Russian regions.
Russia’s nuclear agency on Saturday warned of a “direct threat” to the nearby Kursk nuclear power station, less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the fighting.
“The actions of the Ukrainian army pose a direct threat” to the Kursk plant in western Russia, the atomic agency was quoted as saying.
The head of the International Atomic Energy watchdog also expressed similar concerns and called for “maximum restraint”.
However, Ukraine has also had to evacuate 20,000 people from the Sumy region, located just across the border from the place battle is going on. And as the war continues with no end in sight, Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has ordered military reinforcements—including ground troops, air units, air defense, and rocket systems—to be deployed closer to its border with Ukraine.
(with agency inputs)
Ukrainian troops reportedly have advanced several kilometers, prompting Russia to deploy additional reserves and equipment, though specific details on the forces involved have not been disclosed by either side.
Local officials quoted by AFP reported that over 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated from towns and villages near the conflict zone. Emergency aid is being delivered to the border area, and extra trains to Moscow have been arranged for those fleeing the fighting.
‘Pressure on the aggressor’
Kyiv has kept details of its offensive closely guarded, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy making only indirect references. However in Saturday’s address, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian forces were fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and said the operation was part of Kyiv’s drive to restore justice after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The president referred to his army chief’s briefings “on the frontline and our actions and pushing the war into the aggressor’s territory”.
“Ukraine is proving that it can really bring justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed — pressure on the aggressor,” AFP quoted him as saying.
Russia’s military acknowledged that Ukrainian forces initially crossed the border with approximately 1,000 troops, 20 armored vehicles, and 11 tanks, which the Russians claim to have destroyed equipment totaling five times the amount that Ukraine initially deployed.
Russia’s national anti-terrorism committee announced it was launching “counter-terror operations” in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions to safeguard citizens. These regions, which border Ukraine, have experienced significant shelling and aerial attacks since Russia’s offensive began in February 2022. The committee also condemned Ukraine’s actions as an “unprecedented attempt to destabilize” several Russian regions.
Russia’s nuclear agency on Saturday warned of a “direct threat” to the nearby Kursk nuclear power station, less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the fighting.
“The actions of the Ukrainian army pose a direct threat” to the Kursk plant in western Russia, the atomic agency was quoted as saying.
The head of the International Atomic Energy watchdog also expressed similar concerns and called for “maximum restraint”.
However, Ukraine has also had to evacuate 20,000 people from the Sumy region, located just across the border from the place battle is going on. And as the war continues with no end in sight, Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has ordered military reinforcements—including ground troops, air units, air defense, and rocket systems—to be deployed closer to its border with Ukraine.
(with agency inputs)