25-11-2024 (KURSK) In what local officials are describing as a significant aerial assault, Russian air defences successfully intercepted multiple Ukrainian projectiles over the Kursk region during the night, marking another escalation in cross-border military activities.
Regional Governor Alexei Smirnov confirmed that Russian forces neutralised seven missiles alongside seven unmanned aerial vehicles in the early hours of Monday. The incident represents one of the most substantial attacks on the border region in recent weeks.
“Our defensive capabilities proved effective in responding to this coordinated strike,” Smirnov stated via his official Telegram channel, though specific details about potential targets or damage were not disclosed.
The Russian Ministry of Defence offered slightly different figures in its morning briefing, citing the destruction of 23 Ukrainian drones across Russian territory, notably omitting any reference to missile interceptions.
Military analyst Roman Alyokhin, who serves as an adviser to the Kursk governor, characterised the event as a “massive attack” involving foreign-manufactured missiles. “The scale of the assault was considerable, with significant aerial activity observed,” Alyokhin noted.
This latest incident follows Ukraine’s recent deployment of Western-supplied weaponry, including American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, against targets within Russian territory. These strikes were made possible following Washington’s decision to permit Kyiv to utilise US-provided missiles for deep strikes into Russia.
The assault comes against the backdrop of shifting territorial control in the region. Ukrainian forces, which mounted a bold incursion into Kursk in August, have reportedly ceded more than 40 percent of their initially captured territory amid sustained Russian counter-offensives, according to senior Ukrainian military sources.
Moscow’s response to recent Ukrainian strikes has included the deployment of newly developed hypersonic ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets, demonstrating an ongoing escalation in both countries’ military capabilities and tactical approaches.
