This comes as Russian officials claim to be repelling cross-border raids for the second consecutive day. The Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on the extent of the operation.
According to ABC News, Putin convened a meeting with top defense and security officials to address what he termed as the "indiscriminate shelling of civilian buildings, residential houses, ambulances with different types of weapons." He further directed the Cabinet to coordinate aid for the embattled Kursk region.
The region's acting Governor, Alexei Smirnov, appealed to residents to donate blood amidst the escalating conflict. "In the last 24 hours, our region has been heroically resisting attacks" by Ukrainian fighters, Smirnov announced on Telegram. He also revealed that emergency services were on high alert.
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Smirnov further disclosed that authorities had evacuated over 200 individuals from areas under bombardment, while several thousand others fled using their own means of transport.
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If these reports are confirmed, this would be one of Ukraine's most significant cross-border ventures since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It would also be unprecedented in terms of the deployment of Ukrainian military units.
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The strategic objective of Kyiv could be to divert Russian reserves to this area, potentially undermining Moscow's offensive operations in several parts of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Here, Russian forces have escalated attacks and are gradually advancing towards operationally significant gains.
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However, this move could potentially overstretch the already outmanned Ukrainian troops along the front line, which spans more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
Even if Russia were to allocate reserves to stabilize the new front, given its vast manpower and the relatively small number of Ukrainian forces involved in the operation, it would likely have minimal long-term impact.
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Nonetheless, the operation could bolster Ukrainian morale during a period when Kyiv's forces are under relentless Russian attacks and are anticipated to face more in the upcoming weeks.
Several Ukrainian brigades stationed along the border region declined to comment. Similarly, Ukraine's Defense Ministry and General Staff refrained from commenting.
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Russian forces have swiftly repelled previous cross-border incursions, but not before they inflicted damage and caused embarrassment to the authorities.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that up to 300 Ukrainian troops, supported by 11 tanks and over 20 armored combat vehicles, had crossed into Russia and suffered heavy losses.
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On Wednesday, the ministry stated that military and border guard troops "continued to destroy Ukrainian military units in the areas alongside the border in the Kursk region."
The ministry further claimed that Russian forces, supported by artillery and warplanes, "didn't allow the enemy to advance deeper into the territory of the Russian Federation."
These claims by Russia remain unverified. Open-source monitors, including the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, have also been unable to confirm these claims.
The war, now in its third year, has been rife with disinformation and propaganda. Some Russian war bloggers who have proved knowledgeable about the war claimed that Ukrainian soldiers were in Kursk.
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The Kursk region’s border with Ukraine is 245 kilometers (150 miles) long, providing a potential avenue for saboteur groups to launch swift incursions and capture some ground before Russia deploys reinforcements. As the conflict continues to unfold, the world watches with bated breath, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
