By Ukraine has reportedly launched a rare cross-border incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk. The operation, which began on Tuesday, is now entering its second day, according to local reports.
Acting regional governor Aleksei Smirnov declared a state of emergency in response to the incursion. The attack prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to accuse Ukraine of initiating a “major new provocation” after hundreds of troops reportedly crossed the border near the town of Sudzha, approximately 10 km (six miles) from the frontline, on Tuesday morning.
The incursion was allegedly supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, according to Kremlin sources.
If confirmed, this would mark a rare instance of Ukrainian forces entering Russian territory since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Smirnov also reported that several thousand people had evacuated the affected areas, and doctors from Moscow and St. Petersburg were en route to provide assistance.
On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko claimed that Ukrainian forces had taken control of the Sudzha gas hub, a critical facility involved in the transit of natural gas from Russia to the EU, which remains operational despite the ongoing conflict.
While the BBC has not independently verified Honcharenko’s claims, his statement marks the first confirmation of an incursion into Russian territory by a Ukrainian official. The Ukrainian government has not commented on these reports.
In a televised address on Wednesday afternoon, Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Putin that the Ukrainian advance into the Kursk region was met with Russian forces “continuing to destroy the enemy units” located adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Gerasimov stated that up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops had entered the region between the border crossing and the town of Sudzha, resulting in the reported deaths of 100 men and injuries to another 215.
The news rapidly spread across popular Russian-language Telegram channels, heightening tensions in an already volatile region.
