Russia has declared a federal-level emergency in the Kursk region following a significant incursion from Ukrainian forces.
The development marks a major escalation in hostilities as hundreds of Ukrainian troops crossed the border, making it Kyiv’s largest offensive on Russian soil since the onset of the conflict.
In response, Russia has dispatched reinforcements to the region.
Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike targeted a shopping mall in Kostiantynivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine.
The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and injured 44 others. The mall, situated in a residential area of the town, was engulfed in thick black smoke after the missile hit.
“This is another targeted attack on a crowded place, another act of terror by the Russians,” stated Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk region, in a Telegram post.
This missile strike is the second major attack on Kostiantynivka within a year. In September of last year, a Russian missile strike on an outdoor market claimed the lives of 17 people.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, July had the highest civilian casualties since October 2022, with 219 civilians killed and 1,018 injured due to conflict-related violence.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the deployment of multiple rocket launchers, towed artillery guns, tanks, and heavy tracked vehicles to Kursk in response to the Ukrainian raid. Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of Kursk, remarked on Telegram that “the operational situation in the Kursk region remains difficult.”
Reports from Russia’s Defense Ministry indicate ongoing fighting near Sudzha, approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border. Sudzha is a significant hub for Russian natural gas pipelines. Assistance is being provided to those displaced by the conflict, with the last known number of evacuees from Kursk standing at 3,000.
In response to the incursion, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its military is actively repelling the “attempted invasion” with airstrikes, artillery, and ground troops.
Putin said he had instructed several civilian agencies to provide necessary assistance to those affected in the region and assigned First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to coordinate these efforts initially.
