Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Thousands of Ukrainian troops are taking part in a major incursion into Russian territory, aiming to destabilise Russia by highlighting its weaknesses, a top Ukrainian official has told AFP. Russia’s army on Sunday appeared to acknowledge that Ukraine had pierced deep into its territory during the six-day offensive, stating it had hit Ukrainian troops and equipment in places around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.
“We are on the offensive. The aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilise the situation in Russia, as they are unable to protect their own border,” the security official mentioned on condition of anonymity. The shock offensive appeared to catch the Kremlin off guard. The Ukrainian official also claimed that Russia’s assertion of having deployed 1,000 troops was a significant underestimation of the forces Kyiv has committed to the operation. “It is a lot more… Thousands.”
After days of official silence, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the offensive for the first time in his nightly address on Saturday, stating that Kyiv was “pushing the war into the aggressor’s territory.” Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has since waged an unrelenting campaign, occupying swathes of the east and south while subjecting Ukrainian cities to daily missile and drone attacks. After re-capturing large areas in 2022, Kyiv has largely been on the back foot, increasingly struggling with manpower and arms supply.
The cross-border incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region has been the largest and most successful offensive by Kyiv so far. Russia’s army has been forced to rush in reserves and extra equipment, while evacuating at least 76,000 civilians from border areas. The defense ministry on Sunday stated that it had “foiled attempts” by Ukrainian troops, who were using armored vehicles “to break through deep into Russian territory.” However, in an apparent sign of how far some Ukrainian units have managed to advance, the ministry reported hitting enemy units near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, which are around 25 km and 30 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.
In Sumy region, where Ukraine launched the incursion, AFP journalists observed dozens of armored vehicles marked with a white triangle on Sunday—the insignia reportedly being used to identify Ukrainian military hardware participating in the attack. Neither side has provided precise details on the extent of their deployments to the new conflict zone. Ukrainian authorities in the Sumy region have also announced plans to evacuate around 20,000 individuals living close to the Russian border, which has come under fire in response.
At an evacuation center in the regional capital of Sumy, retired metal worker Mykola, who fled his village of Khotyn located about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the Russian border, shared that the offensive had given him a morale boost. “Let’s let them find out what it’s like. They don’t understand what war is. Let them have a taste of it,” the 70-year-old told AFP, despite being forced to leave his home.
Analysts suggested that Kyiv may have initiated the assault to relieve pressure on its troops in other parts of the sprawling front line. However, the Ukrainian official stated there had been little effect so far on the fighting in the east. “Their pressure in the east continues, they are not pulling back troops from the area,” he said, adding that “the intensity of Russian attacks has gone down a little bit.”
Ukrainian troops would respect international humanitarian law while on Russian territory and had no plans to annex areas they currently hold, he added. “There is no idea of annexation… We are operating in strict accordance with international law,” he said, contrasting this with alleged violations by Russian troops in occupied territory. The official expressed an expectation that Russia would “in the end” manage to stop Ukrainian forces in Kursk and retaliate with a large-scale missile attack targeting “decision-making centers” in Ukraine.
Russia has vowed a “tough” response to the incursion and a Ukrainian missile strike on a residential building in Kursk that it claimed injured 15. An overnight missile attack near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, resulted in the deaths of a man and his four-year-old son, as reported by emergency services.
© 2024 AFP
