2024-08-07 16:03, akt.2024-08-08 06:46
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2024-08-07 16:03
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2024-08-08 06:46
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Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for the first time commented on two days of reports of a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Kursk region, calling it a “large-scale provocation.” The Foreign Ministry in Moscow appealed to the world to condemn Kiev’s “criminal actions.”
fot. AA/ABACA / / Abaca Press
A state of emergency was declared in Kursk Oblast on Wednesday, acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov reported on Telegram.
“I will start with the events in Kursk region. As is known, the Kiev regime has launched another large-scale provocation, massively shelling civilian buildings, apartment buildings, and ambulances with various types of weapons, including missiles,” Putin said at a meeting with the Russian government.
He announced that he would discuss the situation in the region with the heads of law enforcement and military structures on Wednesday, and appealed for assistance to the region’s residents and authorities. A fragment of Putin’s speech was shown by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that “Kiev’s barbaric attack in Kursk region was an attempt to sow panic and show the appearance of activity against the background of the constant failures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the same agency wrote.
“Moscow calls on the international community not to stand by and to resolutely condemn the criminal actions of the regime in Kiev,” the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
In Kursk Oblast, which borders Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, Russian sources say fighting has been ongoing since Tuesday with Ukrainian forces that have entered Russian territory. Bloggers associated with the Defense Ministry in Moscow say up to 400 Ukrainian soldiers have entered the oblast, and about 2,000 are near the border.
Ukrainians have allegedly already taken over at least three towns in this region of Russia. On Wednesday morning, Russian portals reported that Ukrainian forces were moving towards the city of Sudzha, whose residents were supposed to be evacuated. The authorities in Kiev may aim to destroy the gas measuring station in Sudzha, Russian sources reported.
White House: We will ask Kiev about Ukrainian attack on Russian territory
The White House has “no deeper knowledge” of a Ukrainian attack on Russian territory and will seek information from the leadership in Kiev, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday evening.
Russia said on Wednesday it was fighting intensely against Ukrainian forces that had infiltrated its southern border.
The independent Russian website Meduza, based on videos posted on social media, assessed that the attackers in the “largest Ukrainian operation on Russian territory” were opposed by “exceptionally weak forces” consisting of the border guard and one of the border protection regiments created last year, which does not have armored vehicles.
The portal reports that by Wednesday evening, the Ukrainian side had captured the Sudzha checkpoint on the border of the Sumy and Kursk regions, while several dozen Russian border guards were taken prisoner. A gas measuring station near Sudzha, part of the infrastructure of the main Russian gas pipeline pumping gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory, was also captured. This information has not yet been confirmed by official Russian or Ukrainian sources.
Meduza claims that the main group of Ukrainians moved towards Rylsk, capturing two nearby villages, Leonidowo and Zelienyi Shlyakh. “Russian “war correspondents” reported that units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reached the outskirts of Koryenvo, but this is not confirmed information,” the portal writes, adding that “despite the panic of the “war correspondents”, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not yet entered (and may not have even tried to) Sudzha itself,” although they approached it at least from the west, and possibly also from the south. Ukrainian shelling allegedly seriously damaged apartment blocks. (PAP)
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From Kiev Jarosław Junko (PAP)
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