For the third consecutive day, Russia has reported a massive incursion by Ukrainian troops into the border region of Kursk, an unexpected setback for Moscow, whose army had been ahead since the beginning of the offensive.
Ukrainian troops entered the region of Kurskin southwestern Russia, with about 1,000 soldiers and about 20 armored vehicles and tanks, according to the Russian military.
The operation appears to be Ukraine’s most significant border incursion since Russia launched its military offensive in February 2022 against the neighboring former Soviet republic.
Ukraine has not commented directly on the raid, but Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mijalo Podoliaksaid on Thursday that the operation was a consequence of Russian «aggression» against his country.
«The main cause of every escalation, every bombing, every military action (…), even within the territory of the Russian Federation such as the Kursk and Belgorod regions, is exclusively Russian aggression,» Podoliak indicated in X.
“The more we put pressure on Russia, the closer we get to peace,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that it was «continuing the operation to destroy Ukrainian army units» with shelling, rocket and artillery fire against troops that had penetrated the border. It also added that it had sent reserves to the site of the raid to help «contain» attempts to further penetrate into the Kursk region.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that «Ukrainian forces have recorded confirmed advances of up to 10 km into Russia’s Kursk region.» «The confirmed scale and location of the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region indicate that Ukrainian forces have breached at least two Russian defensive lines and one Russian stronghold,» the US-based think tank added.
A strategic area
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a “large-scale provocation” and the military has vowed to quell the incursion. Several analysts say Ukrainian soldiers have reached Sudzhaa key position about 10 kilometers from the border, where there is a station that supplies gas to Europe, passing through Ukraine.
This node distributes gas Slovakia AND Hungarywhose Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has good relations with Putin.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said Thursday that it continues to supply gas to the Sudzha station. On the other hand, Russian regional authorities struck a reassuring tone Thursday, saying the situation is «stable and under control.» However, Russian military bloggers close to the military reported significant progress and complained of a deterioration in the situation.
“The situation is complex and continues to worsen,” blogger Yuri Podoliaka said on Telegram, assuring that Sudzha is “full of Ukrainian soldiers.”
“The enemy is gaining ground, which indicates that the fighting will be long-term,” the Telegram channel Dva Mayora noted.
The Rybar Telegram channel, known for being close to the Russian military, claimed that Sudzha is «practically under the control» of Ukrainian forces and that Russian troops are stationed only at a roundabout east of the city.
He also reported that Ukrainian forces are advancing towards the city of Korenevomore than 25 km from the border, and that unlike other incursions into Russian territory by paramilitary groups linked to Kiev, this is an operation by the Ukrainian army.
Kursk region declared on Wednesday the state of emergencyallowing authorities to restrict movement in an attempt to control the situation.
According to the authorities in this region, at least five civilians were killed and 28 were injured, including several children. Almost 3,000 people have been evacuated and cyber attacks that left several services «temporarily out of action,» according to the same source. On the Ukrainian side, authorities said Thursday that Russian shelling had killed at least five civilians.
