- Ukrainian troops now up to 30km inside Russia, Moscow says
- The offensive, taking place in Russia’s Kursk region, has entered its sixth day
- Clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez
- Most significant incursion since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022
Ukrainian troops now up to 30km inside Russia, Moscow says
Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 30 kilometres inside Russia, marking the most significant incursion since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The offensive, taking place in Russia’s Kursk region, has entered its sixth day.
Russia’s defence ministry reported clashes between its troops and Ukrainian forces near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of “intimidating the peaceful population of Russia.”
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the attack, noting that Russia had launched 2,000 cross-border strikes from Kursk this summer, involving artillery, mortars, drones, and missiles. Zelensky emphasised that each strike “deserves a fair response.”
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that thousands of Ukrainian troops are involved in the operation, far exceeding the small-scale incursion initially reported by Russian border guards. While Ukraine has conducted intermittent cross-border raids, this offensive in Kursk represents the largest coordinated attack on Russian territory by Kyiv’s conventional forces.