Ukraine Pierces Russian Border, Triggers Major Battles

Russia has announced that it was engaged in intense battles against Ukrainian forces that had penetrated the Kursk region.

Russian military bloggers reported intense battles, claiming that Ukrainian forces had penetrated about 15 kilometers inside the Russian border. I Photo: Володимир Зеленський Facebook

This marks one of the largest incursions into Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, as reported by Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly for Reuters.

After the failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive to secure significant territorial gains, Russia has made advances, capturing 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of Ukrainian territory since June 14, according to Sergei Shoigu, head of Russia's security council.

Ukraine has retaliated and the fighting continued, with Ukrainian forces pushing northwest of the border town of Sudzha, located 530 kilometers (330 miles) southwest of Moscow, according to Russia's defense ministry.

Russian military bloggers reported intense battles, claiming that Ukrainian forces had penetrated about 15 kilometers inside the Russian border.

The Russian defense ministry stated that it was continuing to engage Ukrainian units in the Kursk region, directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Earlier this year, paramilitary forces supporting Ukraine breached parts of the Belgorod and Kursk regions, prompting a major push by Russian troops to establish a buffer zone in Ukraine's northeast.