All articles tagged with #border regions
Ukrainian strikes on Russian border regions have caused power outages for over 20,000 residents and damaged energy infrastructure, while Russia has responded with drone attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, escalating the ongoing conflict and its impact on civilian populations.
A senior Ukrainian intelligence official stated that armed groups, described as Russians opposed to the Kremlin, have turned two border regions into "active combat zones," while the governor of one of the Russian regions hit by the attacks claimed that hostile troops were no longer present. Three Ukraine-based groups issued statements about armed operations in Belgorod and Kursk regions, urging residents to evacuate for their safety. Russian military bloggers reported Russian paratroops being dispatched to the affected areas, and Russian officials have previously portrayed these groups as puppets of the Ukrainian military and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Pro-Kyiv militias, comprised of Russian citizens fighting for Ukraine, have urged civilians in Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions to evacuate, as they prepare to launch attacks on Russian military positions in those areas. The militias claim to have seized control of a village in the Kursk region, leading to casualties on both sides. The situation remains tense, with conflicting reports and unverified videos circulating on social media.
Russia has shot down 26 drones over Crimea, accusing Ukraine of staging an assault on the annexed peninsula. The defense ministry stated that the interceptions took place over a two-hour period, without providing details on any victims or damage. Additionally, six drones targeting installations in the Kursk region were shot down. Drone attacks have become almost daily occurrences in Russia's border regions, with the capital Moscow and its outskirts also being targeted. In response, Russia has been bombarding Ukrainian towns and launched a massive drone attack on southern Ukraine, as well as firing ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Crimea was seized from Ukraine by Russian troops and annexed in 2014.
Seven people, including a child, were injured in strikes on Russia's southwestern Belgorod region, while two villages in the neighboring Kursk region were also attacked, causing damage but no injuries. Two drones were shot down in Russia-annexed Crimea. Attacks on Russian regions bordering Ukraine have increased in recent weeks as Ukrainian forces try to recapture land seized by Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize more land in Ukraine to protect bordering Russian territory, as Ukrainian forces launch a counteroffensive to push Russian troops out of four regions of Ukraine the Kremlin illegally annexed last fall. Putin also claimed that Ukrainian forces had suffered “catastrophic” losses in the new counteroffensive, and he was considering creating a “sanitary zone” on Ukrainian territory to protect Russian territory. The US has announced a new military aid package worth up to $325m for Ukraine.
Four people were killed in two separate Ukrainian shelling attacks on towns near the border, according to the governor of Russia's Belgorod region. Officials in nearby regions also reported overnight drone attacks. Russia has reported intensified attacks from northern Ukraine, while Ukraine denies its military involvement and says they are conducted by Russian volunteer fighters. Russia has mounted around 20 separate missile and drone strikes against cities since the start of May.
Drones targeted two oil and gas facilities in western Russia, causing damage but no injuries. The number of drone strikes on targets in Russia has increased dramatically in recent weeks ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian air defense systems shot down several Ukrainian drones near the border with Ukraine, while Ukraine adheres to a policy of neither confirming nor denying its role in attacks on Russian territory.