Russia has accused Ukrainian troops of crossing into its Kursk region, potentially marking the first such incursion by Ukraine and increasing pressure on Moscow in an area largely untouched by the ongoing two-year conflict.
According to CNN, statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Investigative Committee, and the Russian Ombudsman for Children alleged that Ukrainian forces launched a “massive attack” on Tuesday, attempting to breach Russian defenses along the Kursk region’s border, just north of Ukraine’s Sumy region.
President Vladimir Putin described the alleged incursion as a “large-scale provocation,” accusing Kyiv of “indiscriminate shooting from various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential buildings, and ambulances.”
Ukrainian authorities have not responded to the claims.
The full scope of the attack remains uncertain, including whether Ukrainian troops captured any settlements or inflicted significant damage on strategic targets.
It is also unclear if any Ukrainian soldiers are still on Russian soil.
Reports from Russian authorities and military bloggers indicate that Ukrainian forces attacked by land and air near the town of Sudzha, which is approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border.
Geolocated videos show extensive damage at the border crossing southeast of Sudzha and shelling damage in the town itself.
Another geolocated video shows Ukrainian forces approaching the town, though it’s unclear if they have entered or control it.
The Russian Ministry of Defense initially claimed that about 300 troops, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, attacked Russian positions near the villages of Nikolayevo-Daryino and Oleshnya, and that the attack was repelled.
However, this statement was later amended to say that “the enemy is being inflicted with fire damage.”
On Wednesday, state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov telling Putin that “the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces deep into Russian territory has been stopped.”
Aleksey Smirnov, acting head of the Kursk region, reported that several thousand people had left the area over the past 24 hours.
The rationale behind such a large-scale Ukrainian attack remains unclear. With Ukrainian forces under significant pressure along the 600-mile frontline due to Moscow’s ongoing offensive, it could be an attempt to divert Russian resources.
Additionally, news of a successful incursion might boost morale among Kyiv’s troops and civilian population amid more negative frontline developments.
A Russian military blogger, Rybar, claimed that the Ukrainian military had taken control of a gas transit station near the border, which is the only station through which gas from Russia flows to Ukraine and Europe.
If verified, this attack would be a significant development in the conflict, despite its immediate impact being limited. Although there have been reports of pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups entering Russia, none have caused substantial damage.
The Ukrainian military has targeted locations within Russia with drones and missiles, but Kyiv has not officially launched ground incursions since the full-scale war began.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict monitoring group, noted geolocated footage published on August 6 showing damaged and abandoned armored vehicles about 4.3 miles, 7 kilometers, north of the border.
However, it could not confirm whether the vehicles were Russian, Ukrainian, or both.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are gradually advancing towards the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, threatening a crucial Ukrainian supply line.
Russian forces also claim to have captured the village of Niu York and are moving closer to Toretsk.
