What happened?
Early on Tuesday, the Ukrainian military launched a major raid on Kursk Region, Russia, breaking through the border at multiple locations. The attack was focused on the town of Sudzha, located around 9km from the border.
The town, which is the administrative center of the namesake district, has been subjected to continuous indiscriminate artillery and drone strikes.
Heavily armed Ukrainian forces
According to Russian military estimates, up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been involved in the attack. The personnel broke though using dozens of heavy hardware pieces, including tanks of various types, US-made Stryker armored personnel carriers, and other armored cars and equipment.
Advance halted
The fighting raged through the night, continuing into Wednesday, with the Russian military conducting artillery, aerial and ballistic missile strikes on the advancing Ukrainian forces.
The incursion has been halted, with the invading force losing over 300 troops and 54 armored vehicles, including at least six tanks, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Moscow’s reaction
Moscow has condemned the attack, which Putin described as a “large-scale provocation,” with the Ukrainian military conducting “indiscriminate strikes” on civilians, residential buildings, and ambulances.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested the attack is being used as a smokescreen for Kiev to prolong its “deadly mobilization.” Legislation prolonging the drive for another three months was quietly signed by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday, she noted.
What’s next?
The Russian military is seeking to inflict a defeat on Ukraine’s invading force, pushing it back across the border, Gerasimov has said.
Kiev appears to be anticipating a new cross-border offensive by the Russian military. The authorities in Sumy Region, Ukraine, which borders on Kursk, announced on Wednesday the evacuation of civilians from areas within 10km of the border.