Russia's Ministry for Emergencies has declared a "federal level" emergency in the Kursk region, following a significant incursion by Ukrainian forces. The declaration came four days after hundreds of Ukrainian troops crossed the border in what appears to be Kyiv's most substantial attack on Russian soil since the conflict began.
Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of Kursk, stated on Telegram, "The operational situation in the Kursk region remains difficult." Social services and civic organizations are providing assistance to approximately 3,000 evacuees who have been forced to flee their homes due to the fighting.
The Ukrainian operation, occurring about 500 kilometers southwest of Moscow, has caught Russian forces off guard. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank founded by Kimberly Kagan in 2007, reports that Ukrainian forces have made "rapid advances" into the Kursk region, reportedly penetrating up to 35 kilometers beyond the border.
The lack of a coherent Russian response suggests that Ukrainian forces achieved operational surprise. This incursion is particularly significant as it marks the first time Ukrainian troops have made such deep advances into Russian territory since the conflict began.
While Ukrainian officials have refrained from commenting specifically on the operation, Myhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggested that these border region attacks would cause Russia to "start to realize that the war is slowly creeping inside of Russian territory."
Simultaneously, Ukraine continues its strategy of targeting Russian rear areas with long-range drones. During the night of August 8, Ukrainian drones attacked Russia's Lipetsk region, approximately 300 kilometers from the Ukraine border. The regional emergencies ministry reported a fire at a military airfield where fighter planes, including MiG-29s and Su-34s, are reportedly based.
"The military continues to repel the attempted invasion and is responding with airstrikes, artillery, and troops on the ground. During the night, 75 Ukrainian drones were shot down, 19 of them over Lipetsk."
This escalation comes as the Ukrainian army struggles to hold back an intense Russian push on the eastern front, particularly in the Donetsk region. Vladimir Putin, who has been the President of Russia since 2012, has made it clear that he aims to capture the remaining parts of Donetsk not already under Kremlin control.
As the situation continues to evolve, the international community watches closely. The surprise Ukrainian operation and the subsequent Russian emergency declaration mark a significant shift in the conflict's dynamics, potentially altering the strategic landscape of the ongoing war.