Russia Accuses Ukraine of Invading Its Territory in ‘Massive Attack’
Russia has accused Ukraine of crossing the border into its Kursk region, a rare occurrence that, if confirmed, would mark the first incursion of its kind from Ukraine. This move puts pressure on Moscow in an area largely unaffected by the two-year Russia-Ukraine war.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Investigative Committee, and the Russian Ombudsman for Children reported that Ukrainian forces launched a “massive attack” on Tuesday, August 6, attempting to break through Russian defenses along the borders of the Kursk region, which is just north of Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces attacked by land and air near the town of Sudzha, approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the border.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that around 300 troops, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, attacked Russian positions near the villages of Nikolayevo-Daryino and Oleshnya, adding that “the enemy is being inflicted with fire damage.”
Aleksey Smirnov, the acting Russian-installed head of the Kursk region, reported on Wednesday that several thousand people had left the area over the past 24 hours.
It remains unclear why Ukrainian forces would launch an attack of the scale described by Russian authorities, especially as Russia continues to make slow but gradual gains in the east, while Ukraine faces manpower shortages in the war.
Some analysts suggest the incursion could be an attempt to divert Russian resources or boost the morale of Ukrainian troops and civilians.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict monitoring group, reported geolocating footage published on August 6 showing damaged and abandoned armored vehicles roughly 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) north of the border, though it could not confirm whether the vehicles were Russian, Ukrainian, or both.
‼️In a surprising move, #Ukraine has crossed the border into #Russia and has advanced to #Kursk, taking at least five towns, claim #Russian sources. The offensive was launched in early hours of the morning. The fighting appears to be continuing on Russian soil. pic.twitter.com/xgPUNjPGOL
— Kamal Korkees (@KorkeesM) August 7, 2024
🚨#BREAKING: Ukraine military incursion into Russia’s Kursk region continues into second day. pic.twitter.com/945DBpHXu4
— World Source News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) August 7, 2024
Ukrainian armor breaking into Russia's Kursk region.
Ukraine can and will win. pic.twitter.com/e651M39LYh
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) August 7, 2024