The Ukrainian advance into Russian territory is seen as part of Kiev’s defensive struggle against Moscow’s war of aggression. The long silence about the background to the offensive is now coming to an end.
After the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian border region in the Kursk region, the first possible explanations for the surprise attack have now come from Kiev. “Russia has brought the war to our country and should feel what it has done,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in his evening video message broadcast in Kiev. The head of state did not mention the fighting between Ukrainian soldiers on Russian territory in the Kursk area that has been going on since Tuesday. During the night, Russian authorities then reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Lipetsk region south of Moscow.
The adviser in Zelensky’s office, Mykhailo Podoliak, pointed to the international reaction to the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region. The reaction was “absolutely calm, balanced, objective” and was based on the “spirit of international law” and the “principles of waging a defensive war,” Podoliak said on Telegram. The EU had previously declared that Ukraine had the right to attack the aggressor’s territory in its defensive fight against the Russian war of aggression.
According to reports, there were further attacks on Russian territory on Friday night. In addition to Kursk, the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and the Lipetsk region south of Moscow were also affected. There were also a number of drone attacks in Ukraine.
“Lipetsk is under massive drone attack,” the region’s governor, Igor Artamonov, was quoted as saying by the Russian state agency Tass. “The air defense is working to counteract this,” it said on his Telegram page. When a drone crashed, an electrical system was damaged, resulting in power outages. In addition, there was an “explosion of hazardous substances” far away from civilian infrastructure.
There were also reportedly violent explosions and fires in the Russian town of Rylsk in the Kursk area during the night, as the Ukrainian news portal “Kyiv Independent” reported, citing pro-Russian Telegram channels. The cause of the explosions is still unclear. The information from Russian authorities could not be independently confirmed. There was no official confirmation of the attacks from Ukraine.
Advisor in Kyiv: Russia is a legitimate target
“The impossible has become possible, and the mythical Russian brutality and excess have now turned against Russia itself,” said Podolyak on Thursday about the situation in Kursk. A large part of the international community now considers Russia a legitimate target for any operations and weapons. Today, Ukraine is not only fighting with the occupying army, but also successfully against historically strong pro-Russian sympathies and against fears in the West, he said.
Ukraine has repeatedly pointed out that Russia is a defeatable enemy and wants to use this first invasion by a foreign army since the end of World War II to show that the country is vulnerable. According to media in Kiev, Podolyak had previously stated on television that the fighting was intended to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position. However, it is unclear whether Ukraine will be successful in the Kursk region.
Selenskyj: Ukraine needs such results
“Ukrainians can achieve their goals,” said Zelensky in his video message. He had been briefed on the situation in the war zone by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Olexander Syrsky. He did not give any details, but stressed that the results were what the country currently needs. Previously, Syrsky had published a photo on social networks that was supposed to show him in the assembly area – presumably in Sumy on the border, from where the Ukrainian soldiers entered the Russian region of Kursk.
In the Kursk region, fighting between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers entered its fourth day. According to Russian military bloggers, the Ukrainians strengthened their positions in some areas, including in the border town of Sudzha. There were reports of Ukrainian military helicopters entering the area to deliver supplies and evacuate the injured.
The bloggers spoke of a very difficult situation, but also reported on the arrival of numerous combat units, using photos and videos that could not be verified at first. This meant that active counterattacks were now beginning, they said. The Russian Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, had announced the destruction of the Ukrainian troops.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin described the attack as a provocation by Ukraine. According to Russian military sources, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed and injured and dozens of tanks and other military equipment destroyed. The information cannot be independently verified.
Ministry of Health: More than 60 injured
According to the Russian Ministry of Health, the number of injured civilians continued to rise – now to 66 since the beginning of the invasion. The number of deaths was given as five. Kremlin chief Putin was informed of the situation by acting Kursk governor Alexei Smirnov in a video conference. He ordered that 10,000 rubles in emergency aid be paid out to those in need – that’s the equivalent of just over 100 euros.
Thousands of people fled from the towns near the border, where, according to the authorities, many houses were destroyed by shelling. According to official information, many found shelter in emergency accommodation or with relatives and friends. The situation was still considered tense.
Belgorod region also reports renewed shelling
The Russian region of Belgorod, which is close to the border, also reported renewed shelling from the Ukrainian side, including drones. Russian air defenses destroyed several targets, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. A woman and a man were injured, and several apartments and buildings were damaged. According to Gladkov, explosive devices also hit the city, setting four cars on fire.
The town of Shebekino was also shelled by Ukrainian forces, Gladkov said. One man was taken to hospital with injuries. There was damage to ten houses, broken windows, facades, roofs and fences.
Governor: People in Belgorod worried
The Belgorod region has not been at peace since fighters from the Ukrainian side broke through last year. Unlike in Kursk, where regular Kiev troops were deployed for the first time, volunteer units with Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian troops claimed responsibility for the invasion of the Belgorod region last year.
Governor Gladkov appeared at a meeting with citizens who lost their belongings in the shelling. According to him, many people are still waiting for compensation.
The regions and Putin are under particular pressure to act because they have repeatedly made promises to ensure people’s safety. Many feel abandoned. “People are naturally very worried about what will happen to their houses, where they will live and work in the future and when they will get the key to a new apartment,” said Gladkov. These questions should be resolved quickly.
Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Especially in the border regions, Russians are also feeling the consequences of the war again and again. The damage is usually incomparable to the devastating destruction and the many dead and injured on the Ukrainian side as a result of the Russian attacks.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
