Second Russian border region declares emergency as Ukrainian forces press their incursion

Belgorod Gov. describes tense situation as Ukrainian forces press cross-border incursion into Kursk, causing civilian casualties.

Russia’s Belgorod border region declared an emergency Wednesday (August 14, 2024) under heavy shelling by Ukrainian forces that are pressing a major cross-border incursion into the adjacent Kursk region for a second week.

Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation there as “extremely difficult and tense” as the attacks destroyed homes and caused civilian casualties, unnerving local people.

Children in particular are being moved to safety, he said on his Telegram channel, adding that about 5,000 children are in camps in safe areas. He said the previous day that around 11,000 people had fled their homes, with about 1,000 staying in temporary accommodation centers.

The surprise Ukrainian charge onto Russian soil that began Aug. 6 has rattled the Kremlin. The daring Kursk operation is the largest attack on Russia since World War II and could involve as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops backed by armor and artillery, military analysts say. An emergency was declared in Kursk last Saturday.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that Kyiv has no intention of occupying the Russian territory it says it is holding. The goal is to stop Russia from firing missiles into Ukraine from Kursk, he said.

It was not clear how or when — or whether — Ukraine would attempt to extricate itself from the ground it has taken. The Ukrainian military claims it controls 74 settlements, believed to be villages or hamlets, in the Kursk region. Russian officials say more than 100,000 people have been evacuated, mostly from Kursk.

Ukraine’s 1+1 TV channel published a video report Wednesday it said was from Sudzha, a Russian town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border.