The Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukraine is attempting to undermine Russia’s stability following a recent incursion into southern Russia. He warned that Ukraine would receive “a worthy response.” This incursion marks the largest Ukrainian border violation since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.
Weekly, Ukrainian forces have penetrated the western part of the Kursk region, surprising Moscow, which is now responding by sending additional troops to halt the attacks. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Monday that more forces and resources have arrived in Kursk, although no specific numbers were disclosed. “Heavy convoys are being prepared for rapid delivery to areas where the Ukrainian armed forces are being halted, and to secure the road surface,” the ministry reported.
Ukrainian Army Chief Oleksandr Syrskyii announced on Monday that Kyiv controls approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Kursk. In a video statement posted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he confirmed that Ukrainian forces are operating within Kursk. Zelenskyy also noted that the war is returning to Russia after Moscow has taken the fighting to other countries.
The governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, informed Putin that six days of Ukrainian attacks have led to the loss of 28 residential buildings, and that the incursion extends 12 kilometers deep and 40 kilometers wide. He also stated that 12 civilians have been killed, while 121,000 people have been evacuated from combat areas, with an overall evacuation target of 180,000.
On the same day, a new evacuation order was issued in the Russian Belgorod region, as the district of Krasnaya Yaruga fears a potential incursion by Ukrainian forces.
Putin stated during a televised meeting: “The losses for the Ukrainian armed forces are rising dramatically for them, including among the most combat-ready units that the enemy is transferring to our border.” He added, “The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response, and all the goals we face will undoubtedly be achieved.”
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) pointed out that Russia is attempting to falsely accuse Kyiv of war crimes, claiming to have gathered information suggesting that Russia may be planning to commit crimes that they would then attribute to Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv often accuse each other of planning so-called false flag operations.
Military analyst Sean Bell noted that although critics consider Ukraine’s surprise attacks risky, momentum and initiative are crucial in warfare. “This caught everyone off guard,” he said.
Ukraine is also preparing for further Russian attacks in retaliation for its recent border incursion. On Sunday, at least two people were killed and three injured in a Russian airstrike outside Kyiv. The following day, Ukraine announced the evacuation of 20,000 people from the Sumy region, which borders Kursk.
Additionally, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of causing a fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which is now under Russian control, although there have been no reports of increasing radiation levels.
Zelenskyy has reiterated his calls to Ukraine’s allies for a “full-fledged air shield that can protect all our cities and communities.”
“Ukrainians face the prospect of a long, difficult, and bloody war,” said Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He added that Ukraine needs better weapons and ammunition, as well as a massive mobilization that goes beyond the unpopular measures to conscript thousands of men.
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged both Russia and Ukraine to adhere to three principles to de-escalate the situation: “There should be no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no heating up of the conflict by any party.” The ministry stated that China will play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the crisis.
China presents itself as a neutral party in the conflict and claims not to send lethal assistance to either side, unlike the USA and other Western countries. However, NATO countries view Beijing as a “critical enabler” of the war, which they have never condemned.