Russia’s military announced that it is “continuing to repel” a Ukrainian cross-border incursion into the western Kursk region, an unexpected assault now entering its fourth day. According to the Russian defense ministry, Ukraine has lost more than 280 military personnel in the past 24 hours.
Reports indicate that Ukrainian troops have advanced more than 10km (six miles) into Russian territory, marking the deepest cross-border push 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 repercussions of its invasion.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s military reported a successful strike on a military airfield deep within Russia, destroying warehouses with guided bombs. The Lipetsk airfield, located more than 350km (217 miles) from Ukraine’s border, was the target of the attack, which reportedly caused a massive blaze and multiple explosions.
Lipetsk’s regional authorities have declared a state of emergency, confirming the detonations 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 actively repelling “an attempt by the Ukrainian armed forces to invade the territory of the Russian Federation.”
