Mikhaylo Podoliak, a senior advisor in the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that the primary reason for any escalation, including at Kursk, is “unequivocal aggression” from Russia, which believes it can invade Ukraine without consequences.
This is the first official acknowledgment by a Ukrainian government official of the ongoing offensive, despite silence from the country’s military regarding recent developments in the Russian-occupied region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the invasion on Thursday at an event to launch a new military app, saying, “Everyone can see that the Ukrainian military knows how to surprise.”
Later that day, Zelensky alluded to the attack once again in his nightly televised address, stating, “Russia has brought war to our land and should feel the consequences of their actions.”
Russian military bloggers, considered reliable sources of incomplete information, reported ongoing clashes on the highway east of Korenevo, approximately 20 kilometers north of the border, while the western part of Suja, roughly 10 kilometers deep into Russian territory, appears to be under Ukrainian control.
Russia declared a state of emergency in Kursk, and local officials reported that 3,000 civilians had been evacuated following the attack, which has shocked Moscow.
Ukrainian forces, estimated to number several hundred according to Russian figures, crossed the border on Tuesday morning and reached Suja on the first day. Since then, they have advanced northwest and north of the city.
Videos emerged showing Ukrainians surrounding several dozen Russian troops on the first day of the offensive, including border guards taken at a checkpoint west of Suja, suggesting initial success.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces were “continuing to eliminate” Ukrainian insurgents in the Suja and Korenevo districts, and were targeting them using ground forces, artillery, air, and missile strikes.
On the same day, General Apti Alaudinov, the commander of Chechnya’s Akhmat special forces, became the first military official with ties to Russia to acknowledge the country’s military losses following the surprise invasion of Ukraine.
A. Alaudinov stated that the Ukrainian military “progressed well” into Russian territory, “about 10 kilometers.”
A visibly angry Vladimir Putin called a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Wednesday, excerpts of which have been widely broadcast online.
In the meeting, the chief of the general staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov, explained to V. Putin that the progress had stalled and that the Kursk operation would be completed “after reaching the Russian state border.”
Previous incursions from Ukraine into Russia, near the city of Belgorod, were led by anti-Kremlin Russian groups. This time, however, the invasion was led by Ukrainian forces, who utilized a combination of infantry, armored vehicles, drones, electronic warfare, and air defenses in the attack.
Experts have expressed skepticism about the significance of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, but noted that its progress on the ground was better than many had predicted two days ago. The incursion comes as Kiev faces increasing pressure in the central Donbass region.
Fears that Russia might retaliate against the West have led US President Joe Biden and others to limit the use of high-value Western weapons in Ukraine. There have been no confirmed reports of their use in the Kursk offensive, despite Russian claims that Ukraine used Stryker and Bradley armored personnel carriers.
The US said it had no prior knowledge of the planned attack and reached out to Kiev to gain a better understanding of the offensive.
Washington also confirmed that its restrictions on the use of high-value US weapons within Russia’s internationally recognized borders had not changed, and the State Department stated that the incursion did not violate their policies.
Russia’s main operational pipeline to Europe runs near Suja, where a measuring station reportedly seized by Ukrainian monitors reduced Russian supplies to countries such as Austria and Hungary. Kiev has allowed gas to continue flowing through the pipeline under a contract that expires in 2024.
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