Russian, Ukrainian troops' clashes in Kursk region continue

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia and Ukraine on Friday reported ongoing clashes in the Kursk region, the Russian territory where Kyiv forces made incursions in the first week of August, with neither side providing any details on casualties or damages.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its Sever (North) forces successfully repelled all Ukrainian troops’ attacks while artillery and aviation continued to destroy their reserves.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy said in a statement on Telegram that he received a report from the country's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who did not add any new details about the front lines to what he had provided in the previous days, in which he boasted about Ukraine's troop progress in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed in a separate statement that at least seven Ukrainian settlements in the eastern Donbas region had fallen under Russian control in the last week.

"In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 641 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 30,701 drones, 575 air defense systems, 17,783 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,431 multiple rocket launchers, 13,809 field artillery and mortars, 25,447 special military vehicles have been destroyed," it said.

The clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops have recently escalated, particularly after Kyiv allowed troops to enter the Kursk region on the night of Aug. 5 and 6, which Moscow claimed was orchestrated by the West, led by the US.

Last Tuesday, Moscow summoned American Charge d'Affaires Stephanie Holmes to formally protest the involvement of US private military companies alongside Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, as well as the presence of journalists from US media outlets covering the events.

Ukraine claims its forces have captured approximately 100 settlements, including the town of Sudzha.

Russian authorities reported that the conflict has resulted in 17 deaths, 140 injuries, and the evacuation of over 121,000 people from the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the offensive was intended to establish a buffer zone, claiming that the Western ban on striking deep into Russian territory prompted him to attack the Kursk region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the incursion as a "terrorist attack."