In six days, Ukrainian troops advanced 30 kilometers deep into Russia, carrying out the most significant invasion of Russian territory since the beginning of the war in February 2022. This invasion became the deepest and most extensive on the territory of the Russian Federation since the beginning of the war, which caused a sharp reaction from Moscow.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces confronted the Ukrainian military near the villages of Tolpino and Obshi Kolodez. These settlements are located at a distance of 25-30 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of “intimidating the civilian population of Russia.” The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech on Saturday, confirmed the fact of the invasion and reminded that this year Russia has carried out about 2,000 attacks on the territory of Ukraine from the Kursk region.
A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that thousands of Ukrainian troops were involved in the operation, far exceeding the scale of previous attacks carried out by Ukrainian sabotage groups.
Extension of hostilities to Russian territory
The Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region became the largest coordinated attack using conventional forces on the territory of Russia. One of the Ukrainian officials noted that the purpose of this operation is to stretch the enemy’s positions, inflict maximum losses and destabilize the situation in Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its forces thwarted attempts by Ukrainian mobile groups to penetrate deep into Russia. However, confirmation of the presence of Ukrainian troops near populated areas such as Levshinka, located 25 km from the border, indicates significant progress by Ukrainian forces. Video materials that appeared on the Internet confirm the capture by Ukrainian troops of administrative buildings in several Russian villages.
Consequences for Russia and defense measures
In response to the threat, Russia began to strengthen defense lines near the Kursk NPP. Satellite images show recently built trenches near the nuclear plant, indicating preparations for possible further attacks.
Meanwhile, the Russian authorities evacuated 76,000 people from the border areas of the Kursk region, declaring a state of emergency. The acting governor of the Kursk region, Oleksiy Smirnov, reported that 15 people were wounded in Kursk as a result of the Ukrainian missile attack.
Expert assessments and possible consequences
Analysts suggest that the Kursk offensive may be part of Kyiv’s strategy to force Moscow to redeploy its forces from eastern Ukraine, reducing pressure on Ukrainian defenses. However, so far, Russian military operations in eastern Ukraine show no signs of slowing down.
Russia has already responded to the Ukrainian invasion with a series of rocket attacks that have killed civilians, including a man and his four-year-old son in Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down most of the Russian drones and missiles, but the situation remains tense.
This development indicates a new stage of the conflict, which is spreading to Russian territory, and may change the dynamics of the war, which has been going on for more than two years.
