What is known about Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which declared a state of emergency?

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense He said that “the operation to destroy the units of the Ukrainian army continues,” airstrikes, rockets and artillery fire against the troops that entered two districts of Kursk.

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“Attempts by some (Ukrainian) units to penetrate deep into (Russian) territory in the sector of Kursk”the statement said.

He added that the units of the group Sever (North) and the border guard of the Federal Security Service (FSB) continue to “crush” enemy forces in the districts of Sudzha and Korenevo.

In addition, the Russian aviation attacks the concentration places of the Ukrainian army in the neighboring region of Sumyfrom where they would have entered Russian territory.

Russian President, Vladimir Putindescribed the raid on Wednesday as a “large-scale provocation”.

Putin met with his top defense and security officials to discuss what he called “indiscriminate bombing of civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances with different types of weapons,” the AP reported. The president instructed the Cabinet to coordinate assistance to the region KurskThe fighting is taking place about 500 kilometres from Moscow.

For its part, Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov said Thursday that air defense systems shot down six drones and 12 rockets.

On Wednesday, Smirnov declared a state of emergency in the region to “alleviate the consequences of the incursion of enemy forces.”

According to the EFE agency, local authorities reported that since the beginning of the incursion Thousands of people have left the region and more than 600 were taken in by shelters.

Five civilians have been killed and 31 others injured in the attacks, according to the latest figures from the Russian Ministry of Health.

The Kursk region’s border with Ukraine is 245 kilometers (150 miles) long..

What is known about the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk?

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimovreported on Wednesday that 1,000 men participated in the raidwhose objective would be to take the district of Sudzha.

At Wednesday’s meeting with the president, Gerasimov told Putin that around 100 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in combat. and more than 200 had been injured.

For its part, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)based in the United States, said on Thursday that “Ukrainian forces have made confirmed advances of up to 10 km in the region of Kurskamid ongoing mechanized offensive operations on Russian territory.”

He ISW He added that the current confirmed extent and location of Ukrainian advances in Kursk indicate that Troops have penetrated at least two Russian defensive lines and a stronghold.

A Russian insider source claimed that Ukrainian forces have seized 45 square kilometers of territory within the province of Kursk since they launched the operation on August 6, according to the ISW.

Other Russian sources reported that Ukrainian forces have captured 11 settlements, including Nikolaevo-Daryino, the ISW said.

Geolocated images published on August 7 show that Ukrainian forces captured more than 40 Russian prisoners of war at the checkpoint Sudzhathe ISW noted. While Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published satellite images showing severe damage to buildings at that checkpoint.

The ISW also echoed the information that states that Ukrainian forces used FPV drone to shoot down Russian Mi-28 helicopter over Kurskwhich indicates that Ukraine continues to successfully adapt its drone capabilities.

Sources within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed to the Ukrainian media on August 6 Suspilne the shooting down of the Russian Mi-28 helicopter with the help of an FPV drone.

Suspilne published footage from Ukrainian law enforcement agencies showing a Ukrainian FPV drone hitting the rear propeller of the Mi-28 helicopter.

Ukrainian and Russian sources said that Ukrainian forces also shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter on the border area between Kursk and Sumy on August 6, but did not specify the means they used in the attack.

Some Russian military bloggers have harshly criticized the Russian military leadership for failing to detect Ukraine’s preparations in time. to venture into Kursk.

They also said that Ukrainian forces were known to have been building up troops and assets on the border in recent months.

Rybara channel of Telegram directed by Mikhail Zvinchuka retired Russian Defense Ministry press officer, said Ukrainian troops had taken three settlements in the region and were continuing to fight their way inland. He also said Ukrainian forces captured the gas transit station of Sudzhaabout 8 kilometers from the border. Russian officials have not confirmed the progress.

The cross-border incursion would be one of the largest in Ukraine since Russia launched his invasion on a large scale on February 24, 2022, and unprecedented due to the deployment of Ukrainian military units, AP reported.

Ukraine The Ukrainian government has not yet formally commented on the raid, but Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podoliak said the operation was a consequence of Russian “aggression” against his country.

“A weakening distraction operation”

For Andres Gomez de la Torrea specialist in defense issues, the operation carried out by Ukrainian forces in the region of Kursk can be read in several ways. It says that kyiv’s most likely goal would be to push for a distracting incursion that would weaken and have a particularly strong effect. to attract Russian military reserves and draw them out of other areas where they are making some progress.

In recent months, Russia is concentrating its efforts in the Ukrainian region of Donetskwhere although there are no significant blows, it does advance progressively, taking small towns under its control.

“It is a surprise and unexpected attack in the context of a war like the one in Ukraine, where the fighting is taking place on such diverse and complex fronts. That is why it is believed that it would be a distraction to avoid the concentration of Russian efforts in its traditional theatres of operations, mobilising its reserves to unforeseen points, such as Kurskand in this way the power of the Russian troops is diminished”holds to The Trade Gomez de la Torre.

“In this situation, the figure of a key general in operations has been revalued, which is Valery Gerasimovwho in recent months had been keeping a low profile”says Gomez de la Torre.

“In addition, the former president Dmitry Medvedev He said that while the special military operation was intended to secure the territories that Russia considered as their own in Ukraineand punish the so-called Nazism, This attack would enable the possibility of going beyond the claims made in February 2022.″, warns Gomez de la Torre.

The analyst also points out that this incursion occurs in the context in which the president Volodymyr Zelensky It has already received the first F-16 fighter-bombers, which will eventually number around 60, so it would feel more supported in its attempt to take the initiative in the war.