The Russian military says it is “continuing to repel” a cross-border Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region – a surprise attack now in its fourth day.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had lost more than 280 servicemen in the past 24 hours – a claim that has not been independently verified.
Reports say Ukrainian troops are operating more than 10km (six miles) inside Russia – the deepest advance across Kyiv’s border since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine has not publicly acknowledged the invasion, but President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Moscow must “feel” the consequences of the invasion.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said 12 people were killed and at least 44 injured in a Russian air strike on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka, near the frontline in the Donetsk region.
Residential buildings, shops and more than a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
News of the air strike came hours after the Ukrainian military said it had struck a military airfield deep inside Russian territory overnight, destroying a warehouse containing hundreds of glide bombs.
Targeting Lipetsk air base, more than 350km (217 miles) from the Ukrainian border, is the type of operation Kyiv has wanted to carry out for some time.
These are the very tools that Russia has consistently used to terrorize Ukrainian towns, cities and military positions throughout most of its invasion.
The military statement also said the airport is known to host Russian Su-34, Su-35 and MiG-31 fighter jets.
The Lipetsk regional government said a state of emergency had now been declared in the area, confirming the explosion at an “energy infrastructure facility”. Residents of four nearby villages were being evacuated.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces were repelling “an attempt by the Ukrainian armed forces to invade the territory of the Russian Federation.”
The report said Russia used air power and artillery, preventing “attempts by enemy units to break through.”
Earlier on Tuesday, a “federal state of emergency” was declared in the Kursk region – a move that underscores the severity of the current situation.
Russia said up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops, backed by tanks and armoured vehicles, entered the Kursk region on Tuesday morning.
Despite the deployment of reserves and evacuation orders, Russia has been unable to slow the Ukrainian advance.
This is more than the probing attacks we have seen in the past. Hundreds of soldiers with armored vehicles are said to have advanced up to 10km into Russian territory.
It was a targeted attack that shocked the Russian military and the Kremlin. Over the past 18 months, Moscow has determined the dynamics of this war.
Now they must both stop this attack and face domestic criticism for not stopping it in the first place.
Despite longstanding Western concerns about escalation, Ukraine’s allies agree that the operation falls within Ukraine’s right to self-defense.
While not directly mentioning the attack, President Zelensky said in a video address late Thursday: “Russia brought war to our country and should feel what they did.”
But with his Ukrainian forces still outnumbered by Russian forces on the battlefield, the line between a good move and a miscalculation is razor thin.
