Russia announced on Friday its decision to deploy additional troops and weapons to a border area where Ukraine had launched a major ground offensive. This move comes after Ukraine reported that a Russian airstrike on a supermarket in its eastern region resulted in the death of 11 individuals.
Since Tuesday, Kyiv’s forces have been advancing into Russia’s western Kursk region in a surprise attack, considered the most significant incursion into Russian territory since Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
The Russian defense ministry announced the deployment of military units including rocket launchers, artillery, tanks, and heavy trucks to strengthen defenses in the region, as reported by state media.
Initial estimates from Russia indicate that around 1,000 Ukrainian troops, along with more than two dozen armored vehicles and tanks, were involved in the offensive. Russia claims to have destroyed many of the Ukrainian military assets.
While Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that Russia must face the consequences of its invasion.
Both sides have escalated aerial attacks along the frontlines. A Russian missile strike on a supermarket in the town of Kostyantynivka resulted in the death of at least 11 people and injuries to 44, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
Located about 13 kilometers from the nearest Russian positions, the town witnessed the devastating effects of the attack with residents fleeing amid fears of another strike.
• ‘The war has reached us’ –
The unexpected Ukrainian offensive into the Kursk region caught Russia off guard, leading to criticism from influential Russian military bloggers who questioned the leadership’s failure to detect or prevent the incursion.
While senior Kyiv officials have remained mostly silent, President Zelensky indirectly referenced the attack on Thursday, praising the effectiveness of the Ukrainian army in achieving surprising results.
Moscow has not provided detailed information on the extent of the Ukrainian advance, stating they targeted Ukrainian positions in the western edge of Sudzha, a town about eight kilometers from the border which appeared to be the focal point of Kyiv’s offensive.
Several Russian media outlets shared a video purportedly showing residents of the town appealing to President Vladimir Putin for assistance, emphasizing the challenges faced in evacuating the area.
The conflict has resulted in thousands being evacuated from the border region, with Russia organizing additional trains from the regional capital, Kursk, to Moscow for those seeking to leave the area.
At a train station in Moscow, AFP journalists observed families disembarking with young children, fleeing the escalating tensions in the affected regions.
‘Rapid Advance’ –
According to geolocated videos and images, the independent US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Ukrainian forces had significantly penetrated into Russian territory in a swift advance.
The ISW mentioned that Ukrainian units were reportedly present up to 35 kilometers from the international border, highlighting the extent of their advancement.
While acknowledging the Ukrainian progress, the ISW cautioned that Ukrainian forces did not entirely control the area they had advanced into.
Calling it a “large-scale provocation,” Russian President Putin condemned the incursion, with Russia’s top general vowing to defeat the offensive.
Reports from the health ministry indicate that 66 civilians, including nine children, were wounded in the initial days of the conflict, with five civilians reported dead by Kursk regional governor Alexei Smirnov during the first day of the assault.
Ukraine has extended its evacuation efforts in the Sumy region, adjacent to Kursk, aiming to evacuate around 20,000 individuals from 28 settlements, according to Ukraine’s national police force.
Furthermore, on Friday, Ukraine announced a significant airstrike targeting a Russian military base in the Lipetsk region, approximately 280 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border, hitting warehouses storing guided aerial bombs and other facilities.
AFP.