Moscow: Russia reported on Wednesday that it was engaged in intense battles against Ukrainian forces that had penetrated the Kursk region near a significant natural gas transmission hub. This marks one of the largest incursions into Russia since the war began in February 2022.
Russian officials stated that despite Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive failing to achieve major gains, Russia has advanced this year, capturing 420 sq km (162 sq miles) of territory from Ukrainian forces since June 14.
Ukraine launched a counterattack on Tuesday, with battles continuing through the night into Wednesday. Ukrainian forces pushed to the northwest of the border town of Sudzha, located 530 km (330 miles) southwest of Moscow, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
“The Kyiv regime has launched another major provocation,” President Vladimir Putin informed members of the Russian government regarding the Kursk attack.
Sudzha is the last operational trans-shipping point for Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine. The Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline transported about 14.65 billion cubic meters of gas in 2023, roughly half of Russia’s natural gas exports to Europe. Despite the conflict, Ukraine’s gas transmission operator stated that Russian natural gas was still transiting to European consumers normally. Notably, the Kursk nuclear power station is just 60 km away to the northeast.
The battles around Sudzha come at a crucial juncture in the conflict, the largest land war in Europe since World War II. Ukraine is losing territory, and Kyiv is deeply concerned that U.S. support could wane if Donald Trump wins the upcoming election in the United States. Trump has expressed intentions to end the war, making it imperative for both Russia and Ukraine to secure the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield, demonstrate their capabilities, and maintain Western support.
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Kursk Battles
Russian military bloggers reported intense battles, with some suggesting that Ukraine had opened a new front. Ukraine has not commented on the battles, while Russia has deployed reserves to bolster its defenses.
The chief of Russia’s general staff, Valery Gerasimov, informed Putin that Russian forces were engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces near the border and assured that Russia would push them back. The Russian defense ministry claimed to have destroyed 50 armored vehicles, including seven tanks, eight armored personnel carriers, three infantry fighting vehicles, and 31 armored combat vehicles in the area.
Putin accused Ukrainian forces of firing “indiscriminately” at civilian targets in the region and announced plans to meet with top defense ministry and Federal Security Service officials. Both Kyiv and Moscow assert that they do not target civilians in the war, which was triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly two and a half years ago.
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Unverified footage on Russian Telegram channels showed shelled houses. Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk region, reported casualties without providing exact numbers and called on citizens to donate blood.
Forces identifying themselves as voluntary paramilitaries fighting on Ukraine’s side have penetrated parts of the Belgorod and Kursk regions this year, prompting a significant Russian military response to create a buffer zone in Ukraine’s northeast.
