Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed for the first time that his military is conducting an offensive within the western Russian region of Kursk.
In a video statement on Saturday, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian army is taking the fight to “the aggressor’s territory.”
Kyiv launched a surprise attack on Tuesday, advancing rapidly more than 10 kilometers into Russia—marking the deepest incursion since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In Ukraine, Kyiv and other regions have faced Russian missile strikes as well as drone attacks in the early hours of Sunday, local officials have reported.
According to them, a 35-year-old man and his four-year-old son were killed in Kyiv region due to missile strikes. A 13-year-old boy was also reported to be injured in the same region.
On Saturday, Zelensky thanked Ukraine’s “fighters” and said he had discussed the operation in Russia with Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi.
“Ukraine is proving that it can restore justice and exert pressure on the aggressor,” he stated.
So far, Russia has not been able to prevent the Ukrainian advance.
More than 76,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region, and authorities have begun implementing anti-terrorism measures in that area and other border regions.
This means that authorities in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk may impose restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles and may conduct phone surveillance.
The Ukrainian incursion into Russia, which began on Tuesday, was carried out with nearly 1,000 soldiers, tanks, and armed equipment, Russia has stated.
Since then, it is reported that the Ukrainians have gained control of several villages and are threatening to capture the regional town of Sudzha.