Russia’s defense ministry asserted that it had thwarted further Ukrainian advances on the fifth day of an unprecedented attack in the Kursk province. Despite these claims, regional power outages were reported following the strike on an electricity substation.
Fighting reportedly occurred in three villages—Ivashkovskoye, Malaya Loknya, and Olgovka—located between seven and 11 miles from the international border. These locations are consistent with previous Ukrainian advancements.
In a morning statement, the defense ministry claimed to have “thwarted the attempts of the enemy’s mobile groups to penetrate deeper into Russian territory,” with no significant reports to the contrary. Additionally, Russia’s FSB domestic security agency imposed a “counter-terrorism” regime on Kursk and neighboring Bryansk and Belgorod oblasts, granting authorities extensive powers to enforce lockdowns and communication controls.
Ukrainian officials have refrained from commenting on the operation to bring the conflict into Russian territory. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hinted at the operation during a defense staff meeting, referencing defensive actions in response to Russian attacks.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack from the north-east of Sumy, advancing about 13 miles and capturing towns and villages. This incursion marked the first time Ukraine attacked with regular forces inside Russia, a tactic previously feared to escalate tensions with Kyiv’s western allies.
Overnight, Ukraine received significant support from the US, which announced a $125 million military aid package, including artillery shells, rockets, and anti-aircraft Stinger missiles.
A video emerged on Saturday showing five soldiers with Ukrainian and Georgian flags outside a building in Poroz, two miles inside Belgorod province and 45 miles south of this week’s incursion. Although the video appeared to be a stunt, it highlighted the vulnerability of Russia’s border away from the main combat zones.
Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk region, reported that a transformer substation caught fire after being hit by debris from a Ukrainian drone, causing power outages in frontline areas, including Kurchatov, home to the Kursk nuclear power station. Officials assured that the nuclear plant was operating normally and was being reinforced, though Ukraine’s military is not believed to be capable of threatening the plant directly.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, urged all sides to exercise restraint to avoid a nuclear accident amid the ongoing conflict.
Comments