The acting governor of Russia’s Kursk border region, Alexei Smirnov, urged local residents to donate blood amid reports of combatants from Ukraine crossing into the region. Smirnov mentioned on Telegram that blood banks were being replenished due to the ongoing fighting, with the region bravely resisting attacks from Ukrainian fighters in the past 24 hours. He noted that all emergency services were on high alert during this time.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, up to 300 Ukrainian troops, along with 11 tanks and over 20 armored combat vehicles, were reported to have crossed into Russia. Despite suffering heavy losses, the Defense Ministry did not provide further updates on Wednesday. Independent evidence confirming Ukrainian involvement in the assault was not available, and officials in Kyiv chose not to comment on the matter.
Previous incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions were claimed by the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion. Disinformation and propaganda continue to be prominent in the ongoing war, which has entered its third year. Various Russian war bloggers have suggested the presence of Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk, stating that Ukrainian troops had seized multiple settlements in the region and were continuing to push further.
Although claims were made by sources like Rybar, a Telegram channel run by retired Russian Defense Ministry press officer Mikhail Zvinchuk, and the pro-Kremlin military blog Two Majors, stating that Ukrainian troops had penetrated up to 15 kilometers (10 miles) into the region, none of these assertions could be verified independently. Russian forces have typically repelled previous cross-border incursions, although they have caused damage and posed challenges for authorities.
The Kursk region shares a 245-kilometer (150-mile) border with Ukraine, enabling swift infiltrations by saboteur groups to capture ground before Russia can reinforce its defenses.?
