Ukrainian troops have made a significant advance into Russian territory, marking the deepest and most significant incursion since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The offensive in the Kursk region has entered its sixth day, with Russian forces engaging Ukrainian troops near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of “intimidating the peaceful population of Russia,” while President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the attack for the first time in an address, revealing that 2,000 cross-border attacks had been launched by Russia from Kursk this summer.
A senior Ukrainian official stated that thousands of troops are involved in the operation, far more than initially reported by Russian border guards. This marks the biggest co-ordinated attack on Russian territory by Kyiv’s conventional forces, with the aim to stretch the enemy’s positions, inflict maximum losses, and destabilize the situation in Russia.
Footage verified by the BBC shows Ukrainian troops capturing settlements in the Kursk region, including removing the Russian flag from an administrative building in Guevo. Intense fighting has been reported in Sudzha, with Ukrainian troops also seizing administrative buildings in Sverdlikovo and Poroz.
In Sumy, BBC reporters witnessed a stream of armored personnel carriers and tanks moving towards Russia, sporting white triangular insignias to distinguish them from Ukrainian hardware. Aerial photos show Ukrainian tanks engaged in combat inside Russia, with reports of new defensive lines being constructed near the Kursk nuclear power plant.
Russia has evacuated 76,000 people from border areas in the Kursk region, where a state of emergency has been declared. Acting regional governor Aleksei Smirnov reported 15 injuries from a downed Ukrainian missile in Kursk’s regional capital.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko praised the operation, stating it brings them closer to peace. The Kursk offensive follows Russian advances in the east, with analysts suggesting it may be an effort to force Russia to redeploy forces away from eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the offensive a “major provocation,” with Moscow retaliating with missile strikes on Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 53 out of 57 attack drones launched by Russia, with North Korean-manufactured missiles also fired. The US alleges that Russia has been re-stocking its munitions from North Korea.
