Ukrainian authorities are warning that the country is preparing for further Russian attacks in response to the latest border situation in the Kursk region. Russia has deployed reinforcements, including troops, additional tanks, artillery, and missile systems, according to official sources.
On Saturday, the Russian government announced “anti-terrorism measures” in three regions bordering Ukraine. These measures, reported by Russian news outlets, include Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk, and encompass the possibility of evacuating residents as well as restrictions on transportation in specific areas. Additionally, security has been heightened around sensitive sites, and phone and other communication systems are being monitored.
“The decision was made in response to Ukraine’s unprecedented attempts to destabilize the situation in several regions,” said Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in Kursk on Tuesday, marking the most significant cross-border attack since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that more troops and ammunition are being sent to the border area near Kursk in anticipation of a possible counterattack, as Ukrainian forces have reportedly caught the Russian troops off guard.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has characterized this incursion as a “large-scale provocation” from Ukraine, and the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has promised a response. A “federal-level” state of emergency has already been declared in Kursk.
Tragic news has also emerged from the Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, where a Russian missile strike hit a supermarket, killing at least 14 people and injuring 43 others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on social media: “Russian terrorists struck an ordinary supermarket and a post office. There are people buried under the rubble.” Kostiantynivka is located approximately 13 kilometers from the active front line in Eastern Ukraine.
“No situation on the battlefield can justify attacks on civilians,” stated Ukrainian prosecutor Andriy Kostin, while regional governor Vadym Filashkin confirmed that a Kh-38 air-to-surface missile was used in the attack. There has yet to be an immediate response from Russia, which denies targeting civilians.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, volunteers are working urgently to evacuate dozens of residents and their pets in anticipation of further Russian attacks. The governor of Sumy, Volodymyr Artiukh, has ordered the evacuation of 28 villages from a 10-kilometer zone close to the border. National police have reported that approximately 20,000 people will need to leave the area.