State of Emergency declared as Ukraine pierces Russian border

A state of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia as the Ukrainian forces launched a massive attack on the defense positions in Kursk at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT).

Regional officials said that meant restricting access to specific areas.

The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said the move was necessary "to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region."

The Russian Defense Ministry said on its Telegram channel that up to 300 soldiers from Ukraine's 22nd Mechanized Brigade, supported by 11 tanks and over 20 armored combat vehicles, attacked the Russian border defense positions near the settlements of Nikolaevo-Daryino and Oleshnya.

Russia's Health Ministry said 31 civilians, including six children, had been wounded. Russia's National Guard said it had beefed up security around the nearby Kursk nuclear power station and its four reactors.

Russia has advanced this year after the failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive to achieve major gains, and has taken 420 square kilometers of territory from Ukrainian forces since June 14, Russian officials say.

Ukraine struck back on Tuesday, and battles continued through the night into Wednesday as Ukrainian forces pushed to the northwest of the border town of Sudzha, 530 km southwest of Moscow, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

"The Kyiv regime has launched another major provocation," President Vladimir Putin told members of the Russian government, referring to the attack in the Kursk region.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: A view showing a missile strike from a Russian Iskander-M missile launcher on Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles in the border area with Russia's Kursk region. /CFP)