President Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, officially announced that the Ukrainian military had entered Russian territory in Kursk. Kyiv’s surprise attack inside Russia certainly embarrassed Moscow, including its allies. This resulted in around 76,000 people, and counting, having been evacuated from the border areas in the Kursk region. Kyiv’s offensive operations inside Russian territory are the first attack since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. termed Russian territory in Kursk. Kyiv’s surprise attack inside Russia certainly embarrassed Moscow, including its allies. This resulted in around 76,000 people, and counting, having been evacuated from the border areas in the Kursk region. Kyiv’s offensive operations inside Russian territory are the first attack since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kursk acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, had “instructed” the head of the Belovsky district of the region, in Kursk’s south-west, to “speed up” the carrying out of the orders to evacuate. Local officials detailed the scale of civilian evacuations from towns and villages close to the combat zone. “More than 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe places,” the state-run TASS news agency quoted an official from the regional emergency situations ministry as saying at a press briefing.
Igor Kutsak, Kursk Mayor, mentioned that the whole city was under air raid alerts while residents were moved to safe shelter homes. As of Sunday, there were 13 people injured by the debris around the city. On the other hand, the Defense Ministry in Russia made an announcement that it had prevented Ukraine from advancing, according to Dan Sabbagh. As of Sunday, Ivashkovskoye, Malaya Loknya, and Olgovka are the three villages, seven and eleven miles from the international border, where the occupation of the Ukrainian military is currently situated.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) imposed “counter terrorism” on Kyiv’s controlled oblasts through locked-down power and communication in Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod. This offensive operation is less than 30 miles from the Kursk nuclear power station. Although there was no threat to the Ukrainian plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for “maximum restraint.”.
Belarus, a neighboring country to both Ukraine and Russia, questioned Kyiv’s action as drones had violated its airspace in its incursion into Russian territory. Belarus Foreign Minister demanded Ukraine’s charge d’affaires that such an event would not recur; otherwise, Minsk will consider the elimination of the diplomatic presence of Kyiv.
Zelensky firmly asserted that effective institutions are linked to the Orthodox Church and Moscow. Russia was shocked, and Moscow was humiliated, including its allies, when Kyiv’s occupation threatened their national border for the first time. Hundreds of Russian troops surrendered while Russian civilians evacuated.
Analysts have also asserted the strategic move of Kyiv when it occupied Kursk, where Russian troops were not so trained and expert when it comes to training. This tactical invasion is an area considered to be the pro-Ukrainian Russian units, although Ukraine has denied it several times.
Ukrainian flags were raised in three directions as they headed to Sudzha, which is also a strategic value for Moscow. There are 5000 people, and Ukraine controls at least 50% of them as of Sunday morning. Sudzha is the only facility for gas that enters the European Union; predominantly, 98% of Austrian gas is from Russia, among others.
Sudzha holds a strategic interest in Moscow, where the monitoring meter is located for the flow of gas from Russia to Europe. Around 14 million cubic meters of Russian gas transit through this line. The pipeline passes through Ukrainian territory.
Looking from a macro perspective, the sudden, silent action of Kyiv’s advancement to Kursk was a surprise to many nations, including those in the European Union. Poland earlier stated that the EU should stand by whoever wins the US presidency by November 2024. Another angle to consider is that since Biden withdrew his presidential candidacy, Ukraine probably felt that the actions were now or never. This is in reference to the fact that Trump made earlier pronouncements that Putin would stop the war with Ukraine; thus, the Harris Presidency may not encourage either. Global politics undoubtedly has something to do with the domestic policy of Ukraine, considering that Putin is also trying to mediate with Iran’s action in Israel’s air strikes with Lebanon last week. Only time can tell if Kyiv’s occupation of Russian territory is meant for a bargaining negotiation with Moscow or just a fortifying move by Ukraine in the midst of conflicts.
