Ukrainian advances

State of emergency declared in Russian border region

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow published this image of a drone attack on an armoured vehicle of the Ukrainian armed forces on Russian territory, among others.(Bild: APA/AFP/Russian Defence Ministry)

According to the governor of the Russian border region of Kursk, thousands of people have already had to be evacuated due to an intensive Ukrainian advance. A state of emergency has now also been declared.

This was announced by the governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov, in a post on the messaging app Telegram on Wednesday evening. Ukraine has advanced far into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the offensive began on Tuesday and reached the northwest of the city of Sudzha on Wednesday. A correspondent for Russian state television reported that the enemy had advanced ten kilometers into Russian territory. Various bloggers estimate the strength of the Ukrainians at between 900 and 2000 men. 

Military observers said that the Russian troops were only weakly deployed in the border region, which is why the Ukrainian fighters had an easy time penetrating there. In the past, there had been such breakthroughs from the Ukrainian side in the Belgorod region. Volunteer battalions consisting of Russians but fighting on the Ukrainian side claimed responsibility for the actions. According to experts, Ukraine's aim could be to distract Russian troops from attacking in the war against the neighboring country.

Among other things, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow published this image of a drone attack on an armoured vehicle of the Ukrainian armed forces on Russian territory.(Bild: APA/AFP/Russian Defence Ministry)

Protection of the Kursk nuclear power plant stepped up
Due to the fighting, the Russian National Guard has stepped up its protection of the Kursk nuclear power plant. Additional forces have also been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance troops in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the authorities announced.

This is being done in cooperation with the Russian border troops and the army. The nuclear power plant with four units and a capacity of almost two gigawatts is located just over 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. 

Kremlin deplores missile attacks on civilian targets
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin accused the "Kiev regime" of a serious new provocation. Rockets had also been fired at civilian objects and residential buildings, Putin said at a government meeting broadcast in parts by the Kremlin on Telegram. At a meeting with the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the FSB, the domestic intelligence service responsible for border protection, he would shortly listen to further reports on the situation, the President said. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, spoke of an "act of terrorism" against the civilian population.