Ukraine seizes 28 Russian villages in Kursk region as over 100,000 forced to flee
More than 100,000 civilians have been forced to flee the Kursk region of Russia, after the Ukranian army took control of 28 villages since launching their attack almost a week ago.
Vladimir Putin has vowed to "kick the enemy out" of Russian territory, after officials in Kursk informed him Ukrainian troops had managed to advance 12 kilometres into the territory across a 40 kilometre stretch of the border.
The Russian president said: “It’s obvious that the enemy will keep trying to destabilise the situation in the border zone to try to destabilise the domestic political situation in our country."
He claimed the attack marked an attempt by Ukraine to secure a better negotiating position in any future talks to end the war.
Posting an update on X, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "grateful to all soldiers and commanders for their resilience and decisive actions."
He also suggested Ukraine would offer humanitarian assistance in the region, where Russian authorities claim 12 civilians have been killed and 121 others, including 10 children, have been wounded.
The attack marks the largest ground incursion on Russian soil by Ukrainian forces in the two-and-a-half years since the war began - and also the most significant attack since World War Two.
State propaganda has tried to play down the attack, which took Russian forces by complete surprise.
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The aim of the Ukrainian operation - and whether forces are aiming to hold Russian territory, or stage hit-and-run raids - is unclear.
Around 121,000 people have fled the areas where fighting is taking place, with a total planned number of evacuations estimated to be 180,000, acting governor of Kursk Alexei Smirnov confirmed.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the neighbouring Belgorod region, said people living in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district were being moved to safety.
"I am sure that our military will do everything to cope with this threat," he said.
"But to protect the life and health of our people, we are beginning to relocate people who live in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district to safer places."
Statistics: Posted by EnterpriseSovereign — 2024-08-12 05:02pm