Russia’s military has announced that it is “continuing to repel” a surprise Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region, now in its fourth day. According to the Russian defense ministry, Ukraine has reportedly lost over 280 military personnel in the past 24 hours, though this claim has not been independently verified.
Reports indicate that Ukrainian forces are operating more than 10 kilometers (six miles) inside Russian territory, marking the deepest cross-border advance by Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. While Ukraine has not officially acknowledged the incursion, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that Moscow must “feel” the consequences of its invasion.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s military reported an overnight strike on a military airfield deep within Russian territory. The attack targeted the Lipetsk airfield, located more than 350 kilometers (217 miles) from Ukraine’s border, resulting in the destruction of warehouses with guided bombs. The Ukrainian military described a large blaze and multiple detonations following the strike.
Lipetsk regional authorities have declared a state of emergency in response, confirming explosions at an “energy infrastructure facility” and evacuating residents from four nearby villages.
On Tuesday, the Russian defense ministry issued a statement asserting that its forces were repelling “an attempt by the Ukrainian armed forces to invade the territory of the Russian Federation.” Russia claimed to be using aviation and artillery to suppress the Ukrainian advance, which reportedly involved up to 1,000 troops supported by tanks and armored vehicles.
The situation in the Kursk region remains critical, with a “federal state of emergency” declared on Tuesday, underscoring the severity of the ongoing conflict. President Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s resolve, stating, “Russia brought the war to our land and should feel what it has done,” while emphasizing that Ukrainians know how to achieve their goals.