Ukraine’s president indirectly acknowledges daring military incursion onto Russian soil

KYIV, Ukraine —  Days after Ukraine began a surprise military incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region, President Volodymyr Zelensky has broken the government’s silence on it by indirectly acknowledging the ongoing military actions to “push the war out into the aggressor’s territory.”

Zelensky’s comment came in his nightly address late Saturday.

Ukraine’s incursion into Russia continued for a sixth day Sunday. It’s the largest such attack since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and is unprecedented for its use of Ukrainian military units on Russian soil. Ukraine’s raid into Russia caught Moscow unaware and was an embarrassment to Russian military leaders who have scrambled to contain the breach.

Evacuation of civilians living in Russia’s border areas with Ukraine continued Sunday. Russian state television aired footage of evacuees at a tent camp in the city of Kursk. According to the report by RTR, more than 20 temporary accommodation centers have been set up in the region.

The exact aims of the operation remain unclear, and Ukrainian military officials have adopted a policy of secrecy, presumably to ensure its success. Military experts have said that it is likely intended to draw Russian reserves away from the intense fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, while a presidential advisor suggested that it may strengthen Kyiv’s hand in any future negotiations with Russia.

But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Sunday that Ukraine “understands perfectly well” that the recent attacks “make no sense from a military point of view.”

“The Kyiv regime is continuing its terrorist activity with the sole purpose of intimidating the peaceful population of Russia,” she added.

Zelensky reiterated calls to Western allies to step up assistance to Ukraine, and that “to really stop Russian terror, we need not only a full-fledged air shield that will protect all our cities and communities, but also strong decisions from partners — decisions that will remove restrictions on our defensive actions.”

In Russia, Kursk’s regional governor said that a Ukrainian missile shot down by Russian air defenses fell on a residential building, wounding 15 people.

Kursk acting Gov. Aleksei Smirnov said on Sunday that “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group” entered the Belovsky district the previous day, but that the situation had been “stabilized.”

Ukraine hasn’t commented on the Sunday drone attacks inside Russia. But they come as Ukraine has increased the pace of similar drone attacks largely targeting military infrastructure and oil depots in recent weeks.

Kullab writes for the Associated Press.