Russia Tense situation in Kursk region after Ukrainian attacks

According to the authorities, the situation in the border area between the warring parties is tense following massive attacks by the Ukrainian side on the Russian region of Kursk. At least 3 civilians have been killed and 28 injured, according to Russian media reports from the authorities and doctors.

While the Ministry of Defense in Moscow has only sparse information on the situation in the region, Russian military bloggers claimed that it was a full-fledged attack by Ukrainian forces. They had also taken Russian soldiers prisoner and established themselves in individual villages in the Kursk region, according to various bloggers' Telegram channels.

In the morning, the Russian Ministry of Defense only reported that several drone attacks on the Kursk region had been repelled. On Tuesday evening, the ministry reported that a breakthrough into Russian territory by Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles had been repelled - with artillery, aircraft and drones. The attackers were said to have retreated to Ukrainian territory.

In contrast, the acting governor Alexei Smirnov spoke in the morning of a new missile alert and a tense situation. He called on people to get to safety. At least six children are said to be among the injured. In view of the serious attacks and the many injured, he called on citizens to donate blood on his Telegram channel. Authorities in the neighboring regions offered help.

Military bloggers speak of evacuation demands

According to unverifiable reports by Russian military bloggers, the Ukrainian units are moving towards the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, where people have called for evacuation measures. The military blogger Alexander Sladkov, for example, reported that the enemy had advanced ten kilometers into Russian territory. Various bloggers estimate the strength of the Ukrainians at between 900 and 2,000 men.

Military observers said that the Russian troops were only weakly positioned in the border region, which is why the Ukrainian fighters had an easy time penetrating there. In the past, there had been such breakthroughs from the Ukrainian side in the Belgorod region. Volunteer battalions consisting of Russians but fighting on the Ukrainian side claimed responsibility for the actions. According to experts, Ukraine's aim could be to distract Russian troops from attacking in the war against the neighboring country.