Ukrainian President Zelensky admitted for the primary time that his troops are conducting a cross-border offensive in Russia’s western Kursk area.
Zelensky stated in a video speech late Saturday that the Ukrainian navy was pushing the struggle into “the territory of the aggressor.”
Kiev launched a shock assault on Tuesday that rapidly pushed greater than 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Russia, its deepest assault since Moscow started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and several other different areas got here underneath Russian drone and missile assaults early Sunday, native officers stated.
In his speech, President Zelensky thanked Ukraine’s “fighters” and stated he had mentioned operations in Russia with the nation’s high navy commander, Alexander Silsky.
“Ukraine is proving that it might certainly restore justice and make sure the vital stress on the aggressors,” he added.
Russia has to date labored to stem Ukraine’s advance, evacuating greater than 76,000 folks from the Kursk area and implementing an “anti-terrorism” regime in three border areas.
This implies authorities within the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk areas can prohibit the motion of individuals and autos and use measures reminiscent of telephone tapping.
Preventing seemed to be persevering with on Saturday night time, with Kursk area governor Alexey Smirnov saying earlier on Sunday that folks had been injured in a “harmful” assault in Ukraine.
He earlier reported that 13 folks have been injured on Saturday night time when particles from a downed Ukrainian missile landed on a multi-story constructing within the regional capital Kursk.
The governors of Russia’s neighboring Voronezh and Belgorod areas additionally reported nighttime assaults by Ukrainian drones. They did not point out any accidents.
A 35-year-old man and his four-year-old son have been killed when fragments of a rocket landed on a home in Ukraine’s Kiev area, emergency companies stated on Sunday.
Three different folks have been injured, together with a 13-year-old youngster.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on Telegram on Sunday morning that air protection items have been “operational” and warned civilians to remain in shelters.
Russia says Ukraine’s uncommon incursion into Russia started on Tuesday morning when as much as 1,000 troops backed by tanks and armored autos entered the Kursk area.
Ukrainians have since reportedly occupied some villages and threatened cities within the Suja area.
A video emerged on Friday displaying armed Ukrainian troopers claiming management of the city and a key Russian fuel facility owned by Gazprom.
BBC confirm has confirmed that the footage did come from a Gazprom facility situated within the northwestern suburbs of Souza, about 7 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The video alone doesn’t substantiate the declare that Ukrainian troops occupied all the city.
Russian navy blogs earlier claimed the city was nonetheless in Moscow’s palms.
BBC confirm has confirmed the placement of one other video posted on-line on Friday morning. It confirmed a Russian convoy of 15 autos broken, burned and deserted on a highway by means of the city of Oktyabrskoe, some 38 kilometers from the Russian facet of the border.
The video additionally confirmed Russian troopers within the autos, some injured and a few probably lifeless.
Moscow has since despatched reinforcements, together with tanks and rocket-launching techniques, to the Kursk area, saying Russian forces “proceed to repel” invasion makes an attempt by Ukrainian forces.
Russia’s claims haven’t been independently confirmed.
The U.N. nuclear company on Friday urged Russia and Ukraine to “train most restraint” as preventing approaches the Kursk nuclear energy plant, one in every of Russia’s largest.
Rafael Grossi, president of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA), stated measures should be taken “to keep away from a nuclear accident that might have severe radioactive penalties.”
The ability plant is situated about 60 kilometers northeast of Suza.
