Emergency declared in Southeastern Russia as cross-border clashes erupt

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of orchestrating what he described as a “serious provocation.” This statement followed Moscow’s claim of a large-scale cross-border assault in the Kursk region, located in the southwestern part of Russia.

Alexey Smirnov, the region’s interim governor, has declared a state of emergency following two intense days of combat.

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The Russian Health Ministry reported that 31 civilians, including six children, were injured by Wednesday. Smirnov had previously announced that five individuals were killed after Ukrainian mechanized forces breached the Russian border with tanks and armored vehicles.

No official information on Russian military casualties has been provided by authorities.

“The Kyiv regime has instigated another massive provocation,” Putin said to high-ranking Russian officials on Wednesday, referencing the attack in the Kursk area, which borders Ukraine's Sumy region to the north.

Though Ukraine has not issued a statement regarding this specific assault, Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated that Ukrainian units were advancing toward the northwest of the border town of Sudzha, which lies about 530km (330 miles) from Moscow.

In response, Russia utilized both airstrikes and artillery to counter the Ukrainian offensive throughout Wednesday, while also rushing reinforcements to the area.

Local witnesses, who spoke on Russian television, said they fled the region’s border towns amid drone strikes. A local priest from Sudzha, Evgeny Shestopalov, described the town, which houses approximately 5,000 residents, as “burning.” Civilians unable to escape are reportedly seeking refuge in his church.

The full scale of the destruction and the extent of the Ukrainian advance is still not completely clear.

Military bloggers from both Russia and Ukraine have presented varying accounts, with some indicating that Ukrainian forces have progressed several kilometers inside Russian territory.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington, DC-based research organization, cited geolocated footage in its August 7 report indicating Ukrainian forces may have pushed as far as 10km (6.2 miles) into Russian territory. It suggested that the troops seem to be advancing along the Sudzha-Korenovo road.

During a meeting with Putin, Valery Gerasimov, the head of Russia’s General Staff, reported that Russian forces had stopped an attack involving approximately 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers. This number contrasts the earlier figure of a few hundred soldiers reported during Tuesday’s skirmish, suggesting a larger force than initially anticipated.

On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not mention the fighting in Kursk during his nightly video address. Similarly, Ukraine’s General Staff avoided discussing it in their daily battlefield updates but did note an intensification of combat in the Sumy region, where approximately 6,000 civilians have been evacuated.

Ukraine’s General Staff also emphasized that Russian forces, utilizing planes, helicopters, and heavy artillery, attempted to make gains in the region, but ultimately failed and sustained significant losses.

In Washington, US officials weighed in. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the United States was reaching out to Ukraine for clarity on the incursion and said that Washington wasn’t given advance notice of the attack.

Meanwhile, John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, reiterated that US policy remains unchanged regarding the use of American weaponry by Ukraine. US-supplied arms can only be employed “to neutralize immediate threats just across the border.”

Responding to Russia’s provocative claims, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller remarked, “It’s quite ironic for Russia to call this a provocation, when Russia has blatantly violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The rising tensions near Sudzha coincide with Russia’s claims of territorial advances elsewhere. Moscow has reported taking 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of territory from Ukrainian forces along the eastern front since June 14.

The Russian military launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022. Since the invasion began, Ukrainian-aligned forces, including Russian units like the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion, have sporadically conducted operations inside Russian territory.