Ukraine launched rocket and drone attacks as its forces expanded their operation inside Russia’s Kursk region, the second day of an invasion that has forced Moscow to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian front to bolster its defenses. .
For Russia’s part, Vladimir Putin said the attack, one of the biggest since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was a “big challenge”. He also accused Kiev forces of “firing indiscriminately” at civilians with missiles.
Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russia’s general staff, told Putin later Wednesday afternoon that Moscow’s forces had killed nearly a third of Ukraine’s thousands of troops and prevented them from advancing further.
“The operation will be completed with the defeat of the enemy and our advance to the state border,” Gerasimov said.
Russian losses so far
Russian authorities also said 28 residents were injured and at least five were killed, according to the Tass news agency. Kiev has not commented on the operation or Russia’s claims of casualties.
The attack comes at a critical time for Ukraine, which has been steadily losing ground to Russia’s much larger military, which is still struggling to replenish its already depleted military forces. In addition, Ukrainians also face the possible withdrawal of US support should Donald Trump secure a second term as president in November.
Ukrainian units launched the surprise operation on Tuesday morning, while heavy fighting continued throughout the night and into Wednesday.
The forces of Kiev through the attack have managed to put under their control some Russian villages near the border, while at the same time they shot down aircraft and destroyed military vehicles.
The comparison with previous attacks
It is recalled that Ukraine has launched cross-border raids into Russia in the past, using Russian citizens fighting for Kiev in units operating under the command of Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, GUR. But this invasion seems to be more significant in terms of the forces deployed.
“Compared to previous cross-border operations, this one is notable in that it appears to involve Ukrainian conventional forces and not just GUR troops,” Rob Lee, senior fellow in the Institute for Foreign Policy Research’s Eurasia program, told the Financial Times.
For his part, Alexei Smirnov, the deputy governor of the region, claimed that the situation is “under control” and authorities are evacuating residents from border areas that are under fire from Ukrainian artillery.
Putin also said he had ordered officials to provide further aid to local residents and promised to issue more orders after meeting with his security office on Wednesday.
The Russian answer
According to authorities in Ukraine’s Sumy region bordering Kursk, Russian forces responded with airstrikes on Wednesday. Air defenses had shot down “one ballistic missile, two UAVs and one helicopter” over the Sumy region, they said.
Ukrainian troops also seized a natural gas transit station in Sudzha on one of the few remaining pipelines that supply Russian gas to Europe, according to Rybar, a news agency close to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Pro-Kremlin Telegram accounts even posted videos and drone footage of Sudzha showing the city devastated by the fighting. The mayor of Sudzha told state news network RIA Novosti that the situation there was “very tense” as locals tried to evacuate it.
On the other hand, a Ukrainian official involved in the Kursk operation told the FT that the special forces of Ukraine’s security service, SBU, “shot down a Russian helicopter using a drone” in what he called “a unique special operation in the history of war”.
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