Russia has evacuated parts of a second border region with Ukraine after Kiev sharply increased its military activity near the border just days after the - its biggest incursion into sovereign Russian territory since the start of the war in 2022, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Ukrainian forces breached the Russian border early last Tuesday and crossed into the western parts of Russia's Kursk region, a surprise attack that may be aimed at gaining a bargaining chip in possible ceasefire talks after the US election.
Obviously taken by surprise, Russia was until yesterday struggling to stabilize the front in the Kursk region, although according to Russian military bloggers, Ukraine has cut off part of Russian territory where fighting continues.
In neighboring Belgorod Oblast, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an evacuation had begun from the Krasnaya Yaruga area due to "enemy activity on the border" that posed a "threat". "I am sure that our military personnel will do everything possible to deal with the emerging threat," Gladkov said. "We are starting to move the people who live in the Krasnaya Yaruga area to safer places," he added.
Russia has imposed a wide-ranging security regime in Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions, and its ally Belarus has said it is beefing up troop numbers along the border. Earlier, Minsk accused Ukraine that its drones violated its airspace.
Ukraine's attacks on Russian territory may be aimed at showing Western backers that Kiev can still conduct large-scale military operations, while trying to give the Ukrainian side the upper hand in possible ceasefire talks, Reuters said . Russian forces, which have vast numerical superiority and control 18% of Ukrainian territory, have been advancing this year along a 1,000km front after a Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023 failed to make significant gains.
Ukraine broke its silence on the attacks on Saturday after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops had moved into Russian territory to "bring justice" and to put pressure on Moscow's forces.