Ukrainian troops drive deeper into Russia as thousands advance over the border

With the offensive entering a sixth day, Ukraine is gaining ground as fighting rages in the Russian territory of Kursk. 

In what has become the most significant incursion by Ukrainian troops since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, thousands of Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 30km within the Russian border. 

The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday its soldiers are fighting Ukrainian troops near the villages of Tolpino and Obschy Kolodez. 

Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, has accused Kyiv of “intimidating the peaceful population of Russia.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly acknowledged the incursion for the first time in an address Saturday night and said 2,000 cross-border attacks had been launched by Russia from Kursk this summer. 

“Each strike deserves a fair response,” Zelenskyy told Ukrainians in his nightly address from Kyiv. 

Footage released by the Russian defence ministry on Sunday showed what it said was Russian armed forces fighting Ukrainian troops in the Kursk border region. 

Military vehicles and tanks could be seen being hit by artillery and Su-25 fighter jets. 

The unprecedented incursion by Ukraine is the largest since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022. It caught Moscow unaware, and Russian military leaders are still scrambling to contain the breach.  

The exact aims of the operation remain unclear and Ukrainian military officials have adopted a policy of secrecy, presumably to ensure its success.  

Military experts have said that it is likely intended to draw Russian reserves away from the intense fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and may strengthen Kyiv’s hand in any future negotiations with Russia. 

About