Politics Selenskyj: Russia should feel the war - new attacks
Following the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian border region of Kursk Oblast, Kiev has now issued the first possible explanations for the surprise attack.
09.08.2024, 04:28
SDA
"Russia has brought the war to our country and should feel what it has done," said President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening video message broadcast in Kiev. The head of state did not mention the fighting by Ukrainian soldiers on Russian territory in the Kursk region, which has been ongoing since Tuesday. During the night, Russian agencies then reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Lipetsk region south of Moscow.
The advisor in Zelensky's office, Mykhailo Podolyak, referred to the international reaction to the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region. The reaction was "absolutely calm, balanced, objective" and was based on the "spirit of international law" and the "principles of waging a defensive war", Podoljak said on Telegram. The EU, for example, had previously declared that Ukraine had the right to attack the aggressor's territory in its defense against the Russian war of aggression.
According to reports, there were also further attacks on Russian territory on Friday night. In addition to Kursk, the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and the Lipetsk region south of Moscow were also affected. There were also a number of drone attacks in Ukraine.
"Lipetsk is subject to a massive drone attack," the governor of the region, Igor Artamonov, was quoted as saying by the Russian state agency Tass. "The air defense is working against it," he said on his Telegram page. An electricity system was damaged when a drone crashed, resulting in power cuts. There was also an "explosion of hazardous materials" far away from civilian infrastructure.
Heavy explosions and fires are also said to have occurred during the night in the Russian town of Rylsk in the Kursk region, as the Ukrainian news portal "Kyiv Independent" reported, citing Russia-friendly Telegram channels. The cause of the explosions is still unclear. The information provided by the Russian authorities could not be independently confirmed. There was no official confirmation of the attacks from Ukraine.
Advisor in Kiev: Russia is a legitimate target
"The impossible has become possible, and the mythical Russian brutality and excess have now turned against Russia itself," Podoljak said on Thursday about the situation in Kursk. A large part of the world community now considers Russia to be a legitimate target for any operations and weapons. Today, Ukraine is not only fighting against the occupying army, but also successfully against historically strong pro-Russian sympathies and fears in the West, he said.
Ukraine repeatedly points out that Russia is a defeatable enemy and wants to show with this first invasion of a foreign army since the end of the Second World War that the country is vulnerable. According to the media in Kiev, Podoljak had previously stated on television that the fighting was intended to strengthen Ukraine's negotiating position. However, it is unclear whether Ukraine will be successful in the Kursk region.
Selenskyj: Ukraine needs such results
"Ukrainians can achieve their goals," said Zelenskyi in his video message. He had been briefed by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Olexander Syrskyi, on the situation in the war zone. He did not give any details, but emphasized that the results were what the country needed at the moment. Syrskyj had previously published a photo on social networks showing him in the deployment zone - presumably in Sumy on the border, from where the Ukrainian soldiers entered the Russian region of Kursk.
The fighting between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region entered its fourth day. According to Russian military bloggers, the Ukrainians partially consolidated their positions, including in the town of Sudzha near the border. There were reports of Ukrainian military helicopters entering the area to deliver supplies and transport the wounded.
The bloggers spoke of a very difficult situation, but also reported the arrival of numerous combat units with initially unverifiable photos and videos. Active counterattacks are now also beginning, they said. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov had announced the destruction of the Ukrainian troop units.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin described the attack as a provocation by Ukraine. According to Russian military sources, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed and injured and dozens of tanks and other military equipment have been destroyed. The information cannot be independently verified.
Ministry of Health: More than 60 injured
According to the Russian Ministry of Health, the number of injured civilians has risen further - to 66 since the beginning of the invasion. The number of deaths was put at five. Kremlin leader Putin was informed about the situation by the acting Kursk governor Alexei Smirnov in a video link. He ordered 10,000 roubles in emergency aid to be paid out to those in need - the equivalent of just over 100 euros.
Thousands of people fled from the towns near the border, where, according to the authorities, many houses were destroyed by shelling. According to official information, many were accommodated in emergency shelters or with relatives and friends. The situation was still considered tense.
Belgorod region also reports renewed shelling
The Russian region of Belgorod near the border also reported renewed shelling from the Ukrainian side, including drones. Russian air defense destroyed several targets, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. One woman and one man were injured and several homes and buildings were damaged. According to Gladkov, explosive devices were also detonated in the city and four cars were set on fire.
The town of Shebekino was also shelled by Ukrainian forces, Gladkov said. One man was taken to hospital with injuries. There was damage to ten houses, smashed windows, facades, roofs and fences.
Governor: people in Belgorod are worried
The Belgorod region has not come to rest since the breakthrough of fighters from the Ukrainian side last year. Unlike in Kursk, where regular Kiev troops were deployed for the first time, volunteer units of Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian troops claimed responsibility for the invasion of the Belgorod region last year.
Governor Gladkov appeared at a meeting with citizens who lost their belongings in the shelling at the time. Many people are still waiting for compensation.
The regions and Putin are under particular pressure to act because they have repeatedly promised to ensure the safety of the people. Many feel let down. "People are naturally very worried about what will happen to their homes, where they will live and work in the future and when they will get the keys to a new apartment," said Gladkov. These issues should be resolved quickly.
Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russians are feeling the effects of the war time and again, especially in the border regions. The damage usually bears no comparison to the devastating destruction and the many dead and injured on the Ukrainian side as a result of the Russian attacks.
