Russia declared a “federal-level” emergency in the Kursk region following a large-scale incursion from Ukraine, sending reinforcements on Friday.
This move came four days after hundreds of Ukrainian troops crossed the border in what appears to be Kyiv’s biggest attack on Russian soil since the war began. Simultaneously, a Russian plane-launched missile struck a Ukrainian shopping mall, resulting in deaths and injuries.
A missile hit the mall in Kostiantynivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region, killing at least 11 people and wounding 44 others, according to authorities.The attack occurred in the town’s residential area, with thick black smoke rising above the mall after the strike.
“This is another targeted attack on a crowded place, another act of terror by the Russians,” said Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin in a Telegram post.
Last September, Kostiantynivka experienced another major strike when a Russian missile hit an outdoor market there, killing 17 people.
Russia’s defense ministry announced that reinforcements were en route to the Kursk region to counter the Ukrainian incursion. The reinforcement includes multiple rocket launchers, towed artillery guns, tanks on trailers, and heavy tracked vehicles, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency citing the Defense Ministry.
“The operational situation in the Kursk region remains difficult,” said Kursk acting governor Alexei Smirnov on Telegram.
The Russian defense ministry reported ongoing fighting in the western outskirts of Sudzha, a town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border known for its important pipeline transit hub for Russian natural gas.
Social services and civic associations are providing support to those forced to flee their homes. The last reported number of evacuations in Kursk was 3,000.
Little reliable information has emerged regarding the surprise Ukrainian operation, and its strategic aims remain unclear. Ukrainian officials have not provided specific comments about the incursion, which is occurring around 500 kilometers (320 miles) southwest of Moscow.
However, Myhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned that border region attacks will push Russia to “start to realize that the war is slowly creeping inside of Russian territory.” He also suggested that the operation could strengthen Kyiv’s position in potential negotiations with Moscow.
The Ukrainian army is concurrently striving to hold back an intense Russian push in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his intention to capture the remaining parts of Donetsk not occupied by Kremlin forces.
Russia declares federal-level emergencies when there are more than 500 victims or when damage exceeds 500 million rubles (about $6 million).
The Kursk fighting has received significant attention in Russian media, topping news websites and state television broadcasts. State TV channel Rossiya-1 dedicated the first 10 minutes of its 11 am newscast on Friday to the situation, showing video from the Russian defense ministry purportedly displaying the destruction of Ukrainian military vehicles and a howitzer.
Most of the coverage focused on the humanitarian response, showing children being taken to shelters aboard buses and people in other regions gathering supplies to send to Kursk.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported that Ukrainian forces have made “rapid advances” deeper into the Kursk region, reportedly reaching up to 35 kilometers (20 miles) beyond the border.
“The lack of a coherent Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk… and the reported rate of Ukrainian advance indicates that Ukrainian forces were able to achieve operational surprise,” stated the Washington-based ISW late Thursday.
A Russian defense ministry statement on Friday said, “The military continues to repel the attempted invasion” and is responding with airstrikes, artillery, and ground troops.
Ukraine has also persisted with its strategy of targeting rear areas using long-range drones, aiming at military sites, oil refineries, and other critical infrastructure. Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s Lipetsk region, roughly 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the Ukraine border, during Thursday night.
According to a security official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service targeted a military airfield in Lipetsk. “The airfield was a base for fighter jets and helicopters and more than 700 powerful glide bombs in storage,” the source said.
Ukraine’s army general staff confirmed the strike on the Lipetsk-2 airfield Friday morning, citing its use as a base for multiple Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 jets.
The Russian defense ministry reported that 75 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the night, with 19 of them being intercepted over Lipetsk.
This move came four days after hundreds of Ukrainian troops crossed the border in what appears to be Kyiv’s biggest attack on Russian soil since the war began. Simultaneously, a Russian plane-launched missile struck a Ukrainian shopping mall, resulting in deaths and injuries.
A missile hit the mall in Kostiantynivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region, killing at least 11 people and wounding 44 others, according to authorities.The attack occurred in the town’s residential area, with thick black smoke rising above the mall after the strike.
“This is another targeted attack on a crowded place, another act of terror by the Russians,” said Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin in a Telegram post.
Last September, Kostiantynivka experienced another major strike when a Russian missile hit an outdoor market there, killing 17 people.
Russia’s defense ministry announced that reinforcements were en route to the Kursk region to counter the Ukrainian incursion. The reinforcement includes multiple rocket launchers, towed artillery guns, tanks on trailers, and heavy tracked vehicles, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency citing the Defense Ministry.
“The operational situation in the Kursk region remains difficult,” said Kursk acting governor Alexei Smirnov on Telegram.
The Russian defense ministry reported ongoing fighting in the western outskirts of Sudzha, a town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border known for its important pipeline transit hub for Russian natural gas.
Social services and civic associations are providing support to those forced to flee their homes. The last reported number of evacuations in Kursk was 3,000.
Little reliable information has emerged regarding the surprise Ukrainian operation, and its strategic aims remain unclear. Ukrainian officials have not provided specific comments about the incursion, which is occurring around 500 kilometers (320 miles) southwest of Moscow.
However, Myhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned that border region attacks will push Russia to “start to realize that the war is slowly creeping inside of Russian territory.” He also suggested that the operation could strengthen Kyiv’s position in potential negotiations with Moscow.
The Ukrainian army is concurrently striving to hold back an intense Russian push in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his intention to capture the remaining parts of Donetsk not occupied by Kremlin forces.
Russia declares federal-level emergencies when there are more than 500 victims or when damage exceeds 500 million rubles (about $6 million).
The Kursk fighting has received significant attention in Russian media, topping news websites and state television broadcasts. State TV channel Rossiya-1 dedicated the first 10 minutes of its 11 am newscast on Friday to the situation, showing video from the Russian defense ministry purportedly displaying the destruction of Ukrainian military vehicles and a howitzer.
Most of the coverage focused on the humanitarian response, showing children being taken to shelters aboard buses and people in other regions gathering supplies to send to Kursk.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported that Ukrainian forces have made “rapid advances” deeper into the Kursk region, reportedly reaching up to 35 kilometers (20 miles) beyond the border.
“The lack of a coherent Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk… and the reported rate of Ukrainian advance indicates that Ukrainian forces were able to achieve operational surprise,” stated the Washington-based ISW late Thursday.
A Russian defense ministry statement on Friday said, “The military continues to repel the attempted invasion” and is responding with airstrikes, artillery, and ground troops.
Ukraine has also persisted with its strategy of targeting rear areas using long-range drones, aiming at military sites, oil refineries, and other critical infrastructure. Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s Lipetsk region, roughly 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the Ukraine border, during Thursday night.
According to a security official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service targeted a military airfield in Lipetsk. “The airfield was a base for fighter jets and helicopters and more than 700 powerful glide bombs in storage,” the source said.
Ukraine’s army general staff confirmed the strike on the Lipetsk-2 airfield Friday morning, citing its use as a base for multiple Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 jets.
The Russian defense ministry reported that 75 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the night, with 19 of them being intercepted over Lipetsk.