Russia claims it stopped Ukraine's surprise attack on the Kursk region

2024-08-11 21:56:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russia claimed on Sunday that it has halted the advance of Ukrainian troops in the western region of Kursk, in some areas located about 30 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border.

For the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indirectly admitted late Saturday that Kiev's forces had extended the war into Russia in the past six days. But Russia's Defense Ministry said its troops had "obstructed the attempts of enemy mobile units with armored vehicles to penetrate deep into Russian territory".

Russia said it blocked the Ukrainian advance near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, in southwestern Russia, 25 and 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

In his nightly speech, President Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine's continued military actions to "take the war into the aggressor's territory."

But fighting continued in other areas as well.

A 4-year-old boy and his 35-year-old father were killed in an overnight Russian airstrike on the outskirts of Kiev, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. Three other people were injured during the attack in the east of the capital.

Ukraine's surprise attack entered its 6th day on Sunday and marks the first time Ukrainian military units have fought inside Russian territory.

The exact objectives of this operation remain unclear. Military officials have implemented the plan in secret.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian President said that Russia had carried out nearly 2,000 strikes near the border, from Russia's Kursk region to Ukraine's Sumy region, over the summer, and this, he said, deserved a "proper response" from Kiev.

"Artillery, mortars, drones. Missile attacks, every attack deserves a well-deserved response," the Ukrainian leader said in his nightly speech.

In Russia, the Defense Ministry said 35 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over the Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk and Oryol regions.

Ukraine has not commented on the drone strikes inside Russia on Sunday. But the strikes come as Ukraine has stepped up drone strikes in recent weeks, mostly targeting military infrastructure and oil depots.

In his speech on Saturday, President Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers involved in the direct attack on Russia, saying that "Ukraine is proving that it can really bring justice and that it is guaranteeing the pressure that is needed, the pressure on the aggressor."

Russia said on Saturday that Kiev's forces had initially crossed the border with around 1,000 troops, 20 armored vehicles and 11 tanks, although it claimed to have destroyed five times as much military equipment so far.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, ordered military reinforcements on Saturday, calling for ground troops, air units and missile systems to be deployed closer to its border with Ukraine in response to Kiev's surprise attack, according to a statement from the Belarusian military.

According to Kremlin state media reports, Russia's nuclear agency warned on Saturday of the danger to the nuclear power station near the Kursk region, less than 50 kilometers from the fighting.

Despite President Zelenskyy's comments on Saturday, Ukrainian leaders have remained silent on the operation. The United States, Kiev's closest ally, said it was not informed in advance of plans for the attack.

Some information about this news was obtained from the agencies Some material in this report came The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse./ Voa