Dead, many injured

Heavy attacks spread terror in Russia

The damage after the shelling of the Kursk region in Russia is enormous.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Governor of Kursk Region)

The alleged wave of Ukrainian attacks in Russia shows no signs of abating: thousands of people have had to be evacuated from the Russian border region of Kursk, according to the local governor. Five people have been confirmed dead and 24 injured so far.

"Several thousand people have left the region under fire with our help," Governor Alexei Smirnov expressed his concern in a video message on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, the fighting in the border region continued for the second day in a row on Wednesday.

Following massive attacks from the Ukrainian side, the situation in the border region is tense. According to Russian reports, five people were killed and 24 others injured in the course of the fighting. 13 of them are being treated in hospital. According to the Ministry of Defense, the losses on the Ukrainian side included 260 soldiers and 50 armored vehicles, including seven tanks and eight armored personnel carriers. The information could not be independently verified.

The damage following the shelling of the Kursk region in Russia is enormous.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Governor of Kursk Region)

"The operation to destroy the Ukrainian army units continues", the Russian Ministry of Defense stated. The situation is "under control". The further advance of Ukrainian troops into Russian territory has been repelled.

Fighters have established themselves in the Kursk region
The Ukrainian fighters have taken Russian soldiers prisoner and established themselves in individual villages in the Kursk region, according to various military bloggers' Telegram channels. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow reported in the morning that several drone attacks on the Kursk region had been repelled.

On Tuesday evening, it announced that a breakthrough into Russian territory by Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles had been repelled - with artillery, aircraft and drones. The attackers were said to have retreated to Ukrainian territory.

The Russian side published photos allegedly showing Ukrainian combat equipment in Russia:

New missile alert, governor calls for blood donations
In contrast, acting governor Alexei Smirnov spoke in the morning of a new missile alert and a tense situation. He called on people to get to safety. At least six children are said to be among the injured. In view of the serious attacks and many injured, he called on citizens to donate blood on his Telegram channel. Authorities in neighboring regions offered help.

According to unverifiable reports by Russian military bloggers, the Ukrainian units are moving towards the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, where people have called for evacuation measures. The military blogger Alexander Sladkov, for example, reported that the enemy had advanced ten kilometers into Russian territory. Various bloggers estimate the strength of the Ukrainians at between 900 and 2000 men.

Military observers said that the Russian troops were only weakly positioned in the border region, which is why the Ukrainian fighters had an easy time penetrating there.

In the past, there had been such breakthroughs from the Ukrainian side in the Belgorod region. Volunteer battalions consisting of Russians but fighting on the Ukrainian side claimed responsibility for the actions. According to experts, Ukraine's aim could be to distract Russian troops from attacking in the war against the neighboring country.

The Telegram channel "Rybar", which is close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, warns of the dangerous situation in Kursk Oblast:

Putin accuses "Kiev regime" of serious provocation
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin accused the "Kiev regime" of a serious new provocation. Rockets had also been fired at civilian objects and residential buildings, Putin said angrily at a government meeting, parts of which were broadcast by the Kremlin on Telegram. At a meeting with the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the FSB, the domestic intelligence service responsible for border protection, he will shortly listen to further reports on the situation, the President assured. The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, spoke of an "act of terrorism" against the civilian population.

Ukraine repeatedly fires artillery and missiles into Russian territory and has attacked targets deep inside Russia with long-range drones. Infantry attacks are rare, however.