Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky all-but-confirmed that the Ukrainian military is behind the offensive into Russian territory in the Kursk region. In a speech transcript published on Aug. 10, the Ukrainian leader referred to “our actions to push the war out into the aggressor’s territory.”
The Ukrainian offensive in Kursk began on Aug. 6. Russia at first signaled that the foray was neutralized, but reports of Ukrainian soldiers in the region have continue to surface. Russia President Vladimir Putin has termed the operation “a large-scale provocation” and promised retribution for those involved.
On Saturday, Russian state news agencies reported that more than 76,000 people had been evacuated from the region. Early that day, Kursk officials said 13 people were injured in the city after debris from a destroyed Ukrainian missile fell onto a nine-story residential building. An image posted by Kursk’s mayor showed flames rising through a shattered apartment block surrounded by charred debris.
