Ukrainian forces rammed through the Russian border early on Tuesday and swept across some Western parts of Russia's Kursk region, a surprise attack that may be aimed at gaining leverage in possible ceasefire talks after the U.S. election.
Russia, apparently caught by surprise, had stabilized the front in the Kursk region by Sunday, though Ukraine had carved out a sliver of Russian territory where battles were continuing on Monday, according to Russian war bloggers.
In the neighboring Belgorod region to the south, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that evacuations had begun from the Krasnaya Yaruga District due to "enemy activity on the border" that was a "threat."
Russia destroyed five drones over Belgorod overnight, 11 over Kursk, and two over Voronezh, according to Russia's defense ministry, which said it was repelling Ukrainian attacks inside Russia. It listed considerable heavy weaponry, including tanks, which it said it had destroyed.
"I am sure that our servicemen will do everything to cope with the threat that has arisen," Gladkov said. "We are starting to move people who live in the Krasnaya Yaruga district to safer places."
Russia has imposed a sweeping
security regime in the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions while Russian ally Belarus said it was
bolstering its troop numbers at its border after Minsk said Ukraine had violated its airspace with drones.
The audacious Ukrainian attacks on Russian sovereign territory are aimed at showing its Western supporters that Kyiv can still muster major military operations while trying to gain a bargaining chip ahead of possible ceasefire talks.
Russian forces, which have a vast numerical supremacy and control 18% of Ukrainian territory, have been advancing this year along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front after the failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive to make any major gains.
Kyiv broke its silence on the attacks on Saturday when President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had launched an incursion into Russian territory to "restore justice" and pressure Moscow's forces.
