MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered his army to “dislodge” Ukrainian troops from Russian territory following a significant incursion into Russia’s Kursk region as authorities said over 120,000 people had been evacuated away from the fighting.
The conflict intensified last Tuesday when Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region. According to reports, Ukrainian troops have captured more than two dozen settlements, extending their control into Russian territory by at least 12 kilometers (seven miles). The new front line now spans approximately 40 kilometers.
In a televised meeting with government officials, Putin denounced the Ukrainian advance as a deliberate attempt to “sow discord, strife, intimidate people, destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society.” He emphasized that the primary objective of the Russian Defense Ministry was to expel Ukrainian forces from the captured territories. “The enemy will receive a worthy riposte,” Putin asserted.
The attack has already resulted in significant civilian casualties, with regional governor Alexei Smirnov reporting at least 12 deaths and 121 injuries. The crisis has led to the large-scale evacuation of 121,000 people from Kursk, with authorities extending evacuation zones to include the Belovsky district and the Krasnoyaruzhsky district in the neighboring Belgorod region.
Russian forces have responded by mobilizing reserve troops, tanks, aviation, artillery, and drones in an effort to counter the offensive. Despite these efforts, Russian military officials conceded that Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 30 kilometers (20 miles) into Russian territory in certain areas, with some units near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, roughly 25 and 30 kilometers from the border.
A Ukrainian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the goal of the offensive is to stretch Russian positions, inflict maximum damage, and destabilize Russia’s internal situation. The official claimed that thousands of Ukrainian troops are involved in the operation.
The Kremlin’s response has included the deployment of air defence systems, which reportedly intercepted 18 Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region. Furthermore, Russia’s emergency situations ministry has reported that over 44,000 residents in Kursk have applied for financial assistance. Emergency trains have been organized to evacuate residents from Kursk to Moscow, approximately 450 kilometers away.
In Moscow, Marina, a resident who fled the conflict, described the situation as terrifying: “It’s scary to have helicopters flying over your head all the time. When it was possible to leave, I left.”
On the Ukrainian side, armoured vehicles marked with a white triangle—likely identifying Ukrainian military hardware—were observed in Sumy, a region bordering Kursk.
Analysts said that Kyiv’s offensive may be intended to relieve pressure on Ukrainian troops stationed elsewhere along the front lines. Despite this, Ukrainian forces continue their pressure in the east, though the intensity of Russian attacks appears to have decreased somewhat.
A Ukrainian official said he expected Russia would “in the end” stop the incursion. Ukraine was bracing for a large-scale retaliatory missile attack, including “on decision-making centres” in Ukraine, the official said.
