Russia halts Ukraine's advance into its territory

MOSCOW — Russia's army said on Sunday it had halted Ukraine's advance into its western Kursk region in several places, hitting troops and equipment in areas up to 30 kilometers from the border.

The defense ministry said Russian troops had "foiled attempts by enemy mobile groups with armored vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory", including near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, 25 km and 30 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Kyiv launched a surprise border incursion on Tuesday, shocking Russia, which has sent in additional reserves, tanks, drones, artillery and aviation to try to quash the offensive.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that "thousands" of its troops had been deployed to the operation.

On Saturday, Russia said it had evacuated tens of thousands of people from its border region and warned that the fighting in Kursk region was endangering a nuclear power plant.

Local officials detailed the scale of civilian evacuations from towns and villages close to the combat zone.

"More than 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe places," the TASS news agency quoted an official from the regional Emergency Situations Ministry as saying at a press briefing on Saturday.

Emergency aid has been ferried into the border area and extra trains to the capital Moscow have been deployed to help people fleeing the fighting.

Thirteen people were injured in the Ukrainian attack, with two in critical condition, Acting Governor of Kursk region Alexei Smirnov said on his Telegram channel on Sunday.

Smirnov said the incident occurred when a missile intercepted by Russian defense systems fell into a residential building, triggering a fire.

Initial reports indicated the building's structural integrity remains intact. Fifteen people have been rescued.

In his video address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had discussed the operation with top commander Oleksandr Syrsky, vowing to "restore justice" and to "push the war onto the aggressor's territory".

'Counterterror operations'

Russia's national anti-terrorism committee said late Friday it was starting "counterterror operations in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions" to protect citizens.

The Belgorod and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine have also been hit hard by shelling and aerial attacks since the conflict began in February 2022.

Meanwhile, a 4-year-old boy and his father were killed and three others injured in the Kyiv region early on Sunday in a Russian missile and drone strike, Zelensky said.

The Kyiv Regional Military Administration said in a statement that two private houses were destroyed and six others damaged in the Kyiv region by falling debris of the projectiles. Still, there were no direct hits to residential and critical infrastructure.

Russian forces fired 57 Shahed combat drones and four ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the attack, said the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Ukrainian air defense destroyed 53 drones over 11 regions.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the Russian army launched more than 30 missiles and over 800 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine last week.

Agencies - Xinhua