 "Moscow says Ukrainian troops are now 30km inside Russia as Zelenskyy admits Kursk infiltration")
A day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publically acknowledged the Kursk invasion, the Russian defence ministry said that the Ukrainian troops had advanced up to 30km inside Russia. The incursion is now touted as the deepest and most significant infiltration within the Russian territory since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The defence ministry stated that its forces had battled the Ukrainian troops near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez. The offensive in the Kursk region has entered a sixth day forcing Kremlin to call a “federal level” emergency in the region.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova reacted to Zelenskyy’s admission accusing Kyiv of “intimidating the peaceful population of Russia”.
Zelenskky admits Kursk invasion
The Ukrainian leader broke the government’s silence on the matter on Saturday and insisted that the offensive was part of a “drive to restore justice” after Russia attacked Ukraine.
The unprecedented assault began on Tuesday when around 1,000 Ukrainian troops infiltrated the Kursk region targeting several critical Russian infrastructure. The recent assault prompted 7,000 people to evacuate from the region.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy vowed to restore justice for Russia’s invasion. The president mentioned that he had discussed the operation with top Ukrainian military officer Oleksandr Syrskyi. “Today, I received several reports from commander-in-chief Syrskyi regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor’s territory,” the Ukrainian leader averred.
Today, I received several reports from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the frontlines, our actions, and the push to drive the war onto the aggressor’s territory. I thank every unit of our Defense Forces that is making this possible. Ukraine is proving that it truly knows how… pic.twitter.com/qY81u1ahCl
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 10, 2024
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More Shorts“Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor,” he added. Zelenskyy’s acknowledgement came hours after Russia said it had used a thermobaric bomb against Ukrainian forces and announced a “counter-terrorism” operation to retaliate.
What is Russia saying?
On Sunday, the Russian defence ministry notified that its forces had “foiled attempts by enemy mobile groups with armoured vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory”. The update came after Ukrainian troops claimed to have captured a number of settlements in the Kursk region.
The soldiers from Kyiv were seen filming themselves removing the Russian flag from an administrative building in a Russian village called Guevo. The village is located 3 km within the Russian territory. Other clips that are circulating online also showed Ukrainian troops seizing administrative buildings in Sverdlikovo and Poroz. The whole combat has prompted an evacuation of 76,000 people from the region.
🔴 The moment the Ukrainian flag was hung in the border village of Guevo, Kursk, Russia. pic.twitter.com/VPtv2btnM6
— Intelligence FRONT (@intelligencefnt) August 11, 2024
Meanwhile, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko hailed the operation stating that it is taking Ukraine “much closer to peace than one hundred peace summits”. “When Russia needs to fight back on their own territory, when Russian people are running, when people care, that’s the only way to show them stop this war,” the Ukrainian politician told BBC.
Russia’s retaliation
On Sunday, reports emerged that Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv. The Ukrainian capital’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the air defence systems stationed on the outskirts of Kyiv have managed to repel the attack.
“Air defence units operating, air raid alert continues,” he wrote in a Telegram post. The Ukrainian official also noted that a four-year-old boy and his 35-year-old father died when debris from a downed Russian weapon fell on the house they were living in.
Zelenskyy took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to condemn the incident. “A father and his young son, just four years old, were tragically killed in the Kyiv region by a Russian strike. My deepest condolences to their family and loved ones. Three other people were injured, including a 12-year-old boy,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.
Last night, a father and his young son, just four years old, were tragically killed in the Kyiv region by a Russian strike. My deepest condolences to their family and loved ones. Three other people were injured, including a 12-year-old boy. According to preliminary information,… pic.twitter.com/xejWgdyQbf
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2024
“According to preliminary information, the Russians used a North Korean missile in this attack—yet another deliberate terrorist strike against Ukraine. Pyrotechnic experts are still working to determine the exact data regarding this missile,” he added, asking for more support from Ukraine’s Western allies.
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