Three Russian regions bordering Ukraine, including Kursk, have been declared zones for anti-terrorist operations. Military bloggers have long been calling for this. Now Moscow wants to take tougher action.
After Ukrainian troops invaded the Russian region of Kursk, fighting is continuing in numerous towns there. Russian military bloggers spoke of a restless night and attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to continue a “blitzkrieg”. There was no further information from Ukraine itself about the operation, which has been ongoing since Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry released another video this morning, which is said to show an increase in the military presence in the region. It showed tanks that were supposed to take up combat positions to destroy Ukrainian troops. The footage could not be independently verified. The ministry also reported numerous repelled Ukrainian drone attacks in the Kursk area.
“At the moment, the situation has stabilized,” wrote military blogger Alexander Kharchenko in a situation report published by the Telegram channel Rybar. Russian units are making progress. “Sudzha is standing, the command is making every effort to clear the city of the enemy,” Kharchenko said, referring to a location in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. “If the enemy does not unexpectedly deploy significant forces in one place, then we can say that the peak of the crisis has been overcome.”
Three zones for anti-terrorist operations for tougher action
On Saturday night, the Russian leadership declared the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions special zones for anti-terrorist operations. This expands the powers of the Ministry of Defense and other parts of the security apparatus to take tougher action. Military bloggers had already called for this step after the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
An unverifiable video circulated on social networks that allegedly showed men in uniform with the Ukrainian flag in the village of Poros in the Russian region of Belgorod, a few kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Media critical of the Kremlin described this as a possible diversionary tactic by the Ukrainian armed forces. There were no official statements on this. After massive attacks from the Ukrainian side last year, residents had already left entire villages on the border.
According to the US Institute for War Studies (ISW) in Washington, the Russian Defense Ministry is continuing to try to avoid withdrawing troops from the front in Ukraine itself in order to reinforce units in Kursk. Russia recently also expanded the protection of the Kursk nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned of possible dangers. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called on both sides to adhere to the rules for nuclear safety in conflict areas.
Source: Stern
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