Russia has instructed more civilians to evacuate from its border regions as it continues to confront an unprecedented Ukrainian incursion across two fronts.
This comes on the heels of a seventh day of Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russian territory, a strategic move that has deeply concerned Russian authorities.
Last week, Ukrainian forces launched a major cross-border operation in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the most significant foreign military attack on Russian soil since World War II.
The assault, which penetrated up to 30 kilometres into Russian territory, has caused tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. The Ukrainian operation aims to stretch Russian forces, inflict maximum losses, and destabilise the country.
The unexpected attack caught the Kremlin off guard, prompting Moscow to deploy reserve troops, tanks, aviation, artillery, and drones to repel the Ukrainian forces. Despite these efforts, some Ukrainian forces remain near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, close to the Russia-Ukraine border.
In response, Russia ordered new evacuations from the neighbouring Belgorod region, citing active enemy presence on the border.
Russia’s Defence Ministry reported the destruction of 18 Ukrainian drones, including 11 over the Kursk region, using air defence systems.
Tensions also flared at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian forces, where a fire broke out.
Both Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the incident, but the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed no nuclear safety impact or radiation rise. The IAEA has requested immediate access to assess the damage at the plant.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in widespread occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine and daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Despite some gains in 2022, Ukraine has struggled with manpower and arms supplies.
In response to the Ukrainian incursion, Russia has evacuated over 76,000 civilians from border areas, with more leaving over the weekend. Emergency trains have been organised to transport people from Kursk to Moscow, and the situation in the region remains tense.
Analysts believe Ukraine’s incursion aims to relieve pressure on its forces along the extensive front line. However, the Ukrainian official expects Russia to eventually halt the operation, with Ukraine bracing for potential large-scale missile retaliation from Russia, possibly targeting decision-making centres in Ukraine.