Moscow [Russia], August 9: Early on August 6, about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles simultaneously crossed the Russian border. As of August 7, Ukrainian forces had penetrated 10 km deep from the border, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW, USA).
According to RT, in an emergency meeting on August 7, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian army Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine lost 315 soldiers, 54 armored vehicles and that the Russian army was trying to defeat Ukrainian forces, pushing the enemy back across the border.
Russia said artillery fire and drone strikes had killed five civilians and wounded 31. Authorities in Kursk and the Ukrainian region of Sumy ordered the evacuation of thousands of people amid the threat of fighting. President Putin described it as a "massive provocation" with Ukrainian troops "indiscriminately attacking" civilians, apartment buildings and ambulances. Kyiv has not commented on the accusations.
Kursk authorities have declared a state of emergency, while the Russian National Guard has stepped up security measures at the nuclear power plant in the region, according to TASS. White House and State Department officials said Ukraine had not given advance notice of the operation and that Washington would be in touch to learn more about Kyiv's objectives.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov criticized the US for not criticizing Ukraine over the attack, and called on Washington to stop supplying weapons to Kyiv. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council, said lessons should be learned from Kursk and Russia should expand its war targets to the entire territory of Ukraine.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper