Russia declares emergency after Ukrainian incursion
Russia has declared a state of emergency in its Kursk region after Ukraine launched its most serious cross-border incursion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine two and a half years ago, advancing up to 10 kilometres into Russian territory.
At least five Russian civilians have been killed and scores wounded, including children, since Ukrainian troops – along with 11 tanks and at least 20 armoured combat vehicles – entered on Tuesday. Clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops broke out in several villages.
Residents have been asked to limit their movements, and all public events have been cancelled, while Russian authorities have evacuated thousands of people from the border region. The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, stated that these actions were taken “to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Ukrainian incursion “a major provocation”.
The incursion, which Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak blamed on “Russia’s unequivocal aggression”, came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan delegation of the US House of Representatives to discuss more air defence systems, including F-16 fighter jets.
“We talked about defending our country and our values from Russian terror,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. Last week, Ukraine began to receive its first F-16 fighter jets from Western allies, a major boost to its armoury that experts say could help turn the balance of power in the conflict. Ukraine started flying US-made F-16s on Sunday.
For more background on the impact of the conflict to civilians, read:
A Ukraine diary: Reflecting on two years of war
Nizar Al Rifai, who kept a diary of life on the front lines during the first month of Russia’s invasion, looks back and worries about the future.
