Fighting in Russia entered its third day as 1,000 Ukrainian troops rushed across the international border into the Kursk region on Tuesday in one of the largest raids on Russia since the war began more than two years ago.
Moscow declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region, about 175 miles northeast of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, after Ukrainian forces breached at least two defense lines, according to an open-source report outlined by the Institute for War Studies.
Video released by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on Thursday showed dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian forces, and reports from pro-Russian blogs suggested Ukraine was continuing to advance north in the Kursk region.
Details of the targets of the Ukrainian operation remain unclear due to Kyiv’s policy of total silence.
Satellite image shows the Sudzha border crossing area in Oreshnya, Kursk Oblast, on August 6, 2024. (Handout from Planet Labs Inc/Reuters)
Ukraine breaches Russian border near major gas delivery hub, defense official says
But in his first statement since the cross-border incursion into Russia, Mikhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, revealed the driving force behind the incursion.
“The root causes of any escalation, shelling, military operations, forced evacuations and destruction of normal life forms, including in [the Russian Federation’s] “Russia has always believed that restrictive legal norms do not apply to it,” he said on the “X” program.
“But war is war, it has its own rules, and the aggressor will inevitably get corresponding results,” he added.
Public reports from Russian bloggers indicate that despite alleged heavy losses, Ukrainian forces managed to seize a key military checkpoint and Souza gas distribution station – which ensured the continued transit of gas from Russia to Europe – and continued to expand their Military control strikes across the region.
Pictures and reports confirm that Russian civilians have been evacuated from the Kursk region, but the exact number remains unclear, with reports of 3,000 to 10,000 civilians fleeing the fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly called the attack a “major provocation” after meeting with senior security officials on Wednesday, but Moscow has not confirmed the seizure of the Suja distribution station.
On August 7, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Russian defense officials outside Moscow to discuss the Ukrainian invasion. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool Photo source: Reuters)
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Russia’s chief of staff, Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov, reportedly told Putin and other senior officials at the meeting that Russian troops had stopped Ukraine’s advance.
But information on the ground still contradicts the Kremlin’s comments, with pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka saying, “We basically lost Souza. It was an important logistical hub,” France24 reports . “Overall, although the pace of Ukraine’s offensive has slowed significantly, the situation remains difficult and continues to deteriorate.”
Pro-Russian blogs also said Ukrainian troops continued to advance north toward the Russian town of Ligov, a settlement just 20 miles from the Kursk nuclear power plant.
Some reports suggest Ukraine may have its sights on the power plant, but it is unclear how Kyiv intends to hold the plant or the territory it might gain.
On May 24, 2023, Russian troops were not far from the border in the Sumy region of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)
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It is unclear what types of losses Ukrainian forces have suffered in Russia.
Zelensky did not comment on Russia’s actions in a nightly address to the nation on Wednesday, but said he had spoken to Commander-in-Chief Alexander Silsky and “details will be announced later.”
Asked about details of Ukraine’s actions in Russia, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby said he would let Kyiv talk about its military dealings.
However, he added, “There have been no changes to our policy on supporting or encouraging strikes or attacks in Russia.”
The Biden administration has dropped some of its objections to Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons to strike strategic targets in Russia as long as they “target imminent threats across the border.”
