Russia Russian authorities impose state of emergency in Kursk region

Following the advance of Ukrainian troops into the Russian region of Kursk, a state of emergency has been declared in the region and protection for the nuclear power plant there has been increased.

"The Kursk region continues to face a difficult operational situation in the border areas," said the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, on Telegram. He is leading an operations staff that is working around the clock. Meanwhile, a first group of evacuated residents of the Russian border region arrived in the neighboring Oryol region.

According to the Russian Ministry of Health, more than 30 people were injured by Ukrainian shelling in the Kursk region. At least 19 of them were admitted to hospitals for treatment. Among the injured is Russian television's best-known war correspondent, Yevgeny Poddubnyi. State television reported that he was being treated in a local hospital. According to media reports, he suffered severe burns as a result of a drone attack.

Russia increases protective measures for Kursk nuclear power plant

At the same time, the Russian National Guard stepped up protection for the Kursk nuclear power plant, which has four units and a capacity of almost two gigawatts and is located just over 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Additional forces have also been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance troops in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the authorities announced. This is being done in cooperation with the Russian border troops and the army. As a rule, the information provided by both warring parties cannot be independently verified.

The day before, Ukrainian troops supported by tanks and artillery had crossed the Russian border from the Sumy region near Sudzha and reportedly brought several villages under their control. According to Russian reports, a good 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers are involved in the operation. According to unconfirmed reports, they have advanced up to 15 kilometers in the direction of the nuclear power plant.

Immediately behind the border, the Sudzha gas measuring station may also have come under Ukrainian control. This is the transit route for Russian natural gas through Ukraine and on to Slovakia and Austria. In 2023, 14.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas were transported to the European Union in this way despite the ongoing war.

A video broadcast on Ukrainian channels also allegedly showed around 20 Russian border guards captured in the Kursk region. The footage could not be independently confirmed.

Still no official comment from Kiev

The authorities in Kiev did not comment further on the situation in the Kursk region. In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky merely mentioned a consultation with army commander-in-chief Olexander Syrsky. "Details will follow later," said the head of state. He also discussed the expansion of the Ukrainian missile program with Defence Minister Rustem Umyerov.

Zelenskyi also mentioned that he had spoken to members of the government about the long-discussed "Army+" smartphone program, which is to be used to digitally record reports from commanders in the future. "This will clearly make the day-to-day tasks of commanders easier," the President emphasized. This will later also be made accessible to every soldier.

Use of glide and cluster bombs

The Ukrainian General Staff also reported on the heavy use of Russian glide bombs near the border in the Sumy region bordering Kursk. Around 30 glide bombs were dropped there alone. In addition, half a dozen locations were shelled by Russian artillery.

In the evening, the Russian Ministry of Defense showed a video of the use of a short-range "Iskander-M" missile. The missile attack with a cluster bomb warhead was reportedly aimed at a Ukrainian troop concentration not far from the Russian border in the Sumy region. This information could not be verified either.

In view of the heavy fighting in the neighboring Russian region of Kursk and the Russian shelling, the Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of further locations in the Sumy border region. The measures affect 23 settlements, as the military governor of Sumy announced on Ukrainian television. Around 6,000 people, including more than 400 children and young people, are to be evacuated to safety from the region near the border.

More intense fighting expected in Kharkiv region

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military expects fighting to intensify in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. "The enemy is using artillery, mortars and multiple rocket launchers, which may indicate the enemy's intention to begin active assault operations," the Ukrainian army grouping active in the region announced on Telegram. This particularly concerns the region around the city of Vovchansk near the border, which has been embattled since May.

Heavy fighting was also reported in the Donetsk region, particularly around the city of Torezk and the village of Nju-Jork (New York). Ukrainian military observers have not yet officially confirmed a Ukrainian withdrawal east of Nju-Jork.

Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion for almost two and a half years.