I n an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict, Russia has accused Ukrainian troops of crossing the border into its Kursk region. This, if confirmed, would mark the first incursion of its kind from Ukraine, intensifying the pressure on Moscow in an area that has largely remained untouched by the two-year war.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Investigative Committee, and the Russian Ombudsman for Children reported on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had launched a “massive attack” in an attempt to break through Russian defenses in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy region to the north.
Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled the alleged incursion a “large-scale provocation,” asserting that Kyiv conducted “indiscriminate shooting from various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential buildings, and ambulances.”
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the claims, and CNN has been unable to independently verify them. The extent of the attack, including whether Ukrainian troops captured any settlements or inflicted damage on strategic targets, remains unclear. It is also uncertain whether any Ukrainian soldiers remained on Russian territory.
Reports from Russian authorities and military bloggers indicate that Ukrainian forces attacked by land and air near the town of Sudzha, which lies about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the border. The Russian Ministry of Health reported that 31 people, including six children, were injured due to Ukrainian shelling in the Kursk region.
Vitaly Slashchev, the mayor of Sudzha, described a “very tense” atmosphere, telling Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, “There is no time to talk, many people are calling about evacuation.” Although available geolocated videos do not show Ukrainian troops in the town, Slashchev confirmed to state news outlet RT that Sudzha was not under the control of Ukrainian forces.
Unofficial Russian Telegram channel Dya Mayora reported that border guards were “putting up serious resistance to the advancing enemy troops,” but acknowledged that “enemy reconnaissance groups are penetrating further.”
Drone footage, geolocated by CNN, shows heavily shelled areas near Sudzha and some 20 men appearing to have surrendered at a border crossing. The identity of these individuals remains unconfirmed, though an unofficial Ukrainian social media channel, Sternenko, claimed the footage showed at least 22 Russian soldiers surrendering in the Kursk region.
In response to the situation, Aleksey Smirnov, the acting governor of Russia’s Kursk region, declared an emergency from August 7th. He noted that the operational situation in border areas remains challenging, and additional measures are being taken to protect the Kursk nuclear power plant.
The Russian Ministry of Defense initially stated that about 300 Ukrainian troops, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, attacked Russian positions near Nikolayevo-Daryino and Oleshnya. Although the ministry first claimed the attack was repelled, it later clarified that “the enemy is being inflicted with fire damage.”
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, informed Putin that the advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory had been halted.
Despite these developments, the strategic reasoning behind such an attack by Ukrainian forces remains unclear. It could be an effort to divert Russian resources amid increased pressure along the 600-mile frontline, where Moscow continues its slow, grinding offensive.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict monitoring group, noted geolocated footage showing damaged and abandoned armored vehicles about 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) north of the border. However, it could not confirm whether these were Russian, Ukrainian, or both.
In the meantime, Russian forces are making incremental advances toward the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, threatening vital Ukrainian supply lines. Russian forces also claim to have seized the village of Niu York, moving closer to Toretsk.
The situation remains fluid, with significant implications for the broader conflict.
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