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MOSCOW: Russia announced on Thursday that its troops successfully repelled an attempt by Ukrainian forces to infiltrate its border in a new region, separate from Kyiv’s recent incursion into Russian territory. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted areas near an airbase in southern Russia.
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, stated that Russian border guards and military units thwarted an attack by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance team on Wednesday. The incident occurred approximately 240 km (150 miles) from Ukraine’s earlier incursion into the neighboring Kursk region, suggesting that Kyiv is attempting to expand the conflict into more Russian border areas.
In response, authorities in Kursk announced on Thursday that they had begun installing concrete shelters to protect civilians amidst the ongoing Ukrainian incursions. This follows a surprise assault by Ukrainian troops into Kursk on August 6, marking a significant escalation as Kyiv seeks to pressure Russia on its own soil after facing challenges on the battlefield since late 2022.
While Ukraine has reported a series of battlefield successes, Moscow continues to advance in eastern Ukraine, placing strain on Ukrainian forces after years of intense fighting since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Both sides have claimed progress, with Russia asserting that it has halted Ukraine’s offensive, and Ukraine continuing to highlight its advances.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, during a meeting with a visiting U.S. congressional delegation on Wednesday, stated that Kyiv’s actions in Kursk are aimed at securing the border and preventing Russian military threats. “Our goals there (in Kursk) are to clear the border from Russian military threats and make enemy shelling and attacks on our towns and villages impossible,” Umerov said in a statement.
As Ukraine prepares to celebrate 33 years of independence from the Soviet Union on Saturday, the incursion has bolstered morale among its citizens. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning on Thursday about a heightened risk of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine in the days leading up to Independence Day.
