121,000 on the run

Evacuation of parts of the Russian region of Belgorod

(Bild: AFP)

121,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region in western Russia due to the advance of the Ukrainian army. This was announced by the governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov, at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. 28 villages in the region were occupied by Ukrainian units. 

The Ukrainian troops had used chemical weapons during their advance, Smirnov claimed. It was initially unclear whether Smirnov had presented any evidence to substantiate this accusation. The accusation was initially unverifiable. According to his statements, Ukrainian troops have so far advanced twelve kilometers deep into Russian territory.

Ukraine's army advanced into border areas on Tuesday
According to Putin, Ukraine wants to improve its negotiating position with its advance. The Russian government will respond to this attack, the President said on Monday. The governors of the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts had previously announced evacuations in individual districts. Ukrainian troops have been advancing into border areas of Russia since last Tuesday.

A damaged house after shelling by Ukraine in the Kursk region

(Bild: AP)

The authorities in the Russian region of Belgorod have ordered the evacuation of the Krasnaya Yaruga (Krasnoyarushsky rayon) district directly on the border. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said this on Monday, justifying the measure with "activities of the enemy". According to the Russian state news agency TASS, this evacuation alone affects 11,000 people. The affected district is located in the north-west of Belgorod. In Kursk Oblast, according to Governor Smirnov on Monday, people were evacuated from the Belaya district (Belovsky rayon). According to official figures, almost 15,000 people lived in the area at the beginning of 2022.

Gladkov did not provide any information about what the Ukrainians are doing on this section of the border. The Russian military blog "Rybar" reported an attack on the Kolotilovka border crossing and the penetration of Ukrainian sabotage troops through a forest area near Terebreno. There was no confirmation of this.

Ukrainian soldiers carrying a drone.

(Bild: APA/AFP )

Ukrainian drones intercepted
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian air defense has shot down eleven Ukrainian drones that were heading for targets in the Kursk region. Drones were also intercepted over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region. The ministry in Moscow did not say on Monday how many drones the Ukrainian army is said to have launched in total on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Ukraine says it sees no signs of an increased presence of Belarusian troops on the common border. According to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian border guard, no movements or deployments of Belarusian forces have been registered in the area in recent days. This contradicts information from Belarus.

Belarus reinforces border guard
The government in Minsk announced on Saturday that it had sent troops to reinforce border security because Ukraine had violated Belarusian airspace. The spokesman for the Ukrainian border guard said that Belarus had only made these statements in order to contribute to a Russian campaign aimed at putting pressure on Ukraine. Belarus is one of Russia's most important allies. If the country does indeed increase its presence on the border with Ukraine, this could prompt Kiev to deploy soldiers who are needed in the fighting against Russia to provide additional security on the border with Belarus.

Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for almost two and a half years and is under heavy pressure on the front lines in its own country. The leadership in Kiev remains silent on the target of the advances into Russian territory. However, the attacks have given the Ukrainian army more freedom of movement in recent days and presented the Russian side with unexpected problems.