UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODOMYR Zelenskyy has acknowledged a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory for the first time, as fighting continues in the Kursk region.

In his evening address, he referred to army chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who he said had “already reported several times on the frontline and our actions and pushing the war into the aggressor’s territory.”

Earlier today, Russia said it had evacuated tens of thousands of people from its border region, launching what it called a “counter-terror operation”.

Russia reported yesterday that they had been defending against a Ukrainian drone attack around the town of Liputsk, over 350km from the Ukranian border.

It said it had rushed in reserves and was “thwarting attempts to break through” deeper into Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the incursion a “large-scale provocation” by Kyiv, and Russia’s top general vowed on Wednesday to crush it.

The US State Department had expressed its support for the incursion without explicitly commenting on whether or not it had been carried out by Ukraine. They are yet to issue a statement in light of President Zelenskyy’s announcement.

With reporting by Muiris Ó Cearbhaill and © AFP 2024.