10-8-2024 (MOSCOW) In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia has initiated a “counterterror operation” in three regions bordering Ukraine, following what Moscow describes as Kyiv’s most substantial cross-border offensive since the war began over two years ago.
On Tuesday morning, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a surprise attack, crossing into Russia’s western Kursk region. Independent analysts suggest that these units have advanced several kilometres into Russian territory, prompting a swift and forceful response from Moscow.
Russia’s national anti-terrorism committee announced late Friday that it was commencing counterterror operations in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions. The committee stated that these measures were being implemented “to ensure the safety of citizens and suppress the threat of terrorist acts being carried out by the enemy’s sabotage groups.”
The declaration of a counterterror operation grants Russian security forces and military personnel extensive emergency powers. These include the ability to restrict movement, seize vehicles, monitor communications, establish no-go zones, set up checkpoints, and bolster security at critical infrastructure sites.
Describing the incursion as an “unprecedented attempt to destabilise the situation in a number of regions of our country,” the anti-terrorism committee accused Ukrainian troops of wounding civilians and destroying residential buildings. Moscow has characterised the offensive as a “terrorist attack.”
In response to the incursion, Russia has deployed additional troops and equipment to the affected areas. The defence ministry has released footage showing tank crews engaging Ukrainian positions and conducting overnight air strikes. Reports indicate that tanks, rocket launchers, and aviation units have been mobilised to halt the advancing Ukrainian forces.
While Ukrainian leaders have remained largely silent about the operation, President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to allude to its early successes. In a statement on Friday, he thanked his troops for the “replenishment of the exchange fund,” a term typically used to refer to the capture of enemy soldiers for potential prisoner swaps.
“This is extremely important and has been particularly effective over the last three days,” President Zelensky remarked, without explicitly mentioning the Kursk incursion. Earlier in the week, he had emphasised that Russia must “feel” the consequences of its full-scale offensive against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
The United States, Kyiv’s closest ally, has stated that it was not informed of the plans for this cross-border operation in advance.
Russian military bloggers have reported that several Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces during the incursion. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claims to have shot down 26 Ukrainian drones attempting to attack the region overnight.
