Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed Ukraine’s incursion into Russian soil, the largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to drive Ukraine from Russian territories in a meeting with defence and security officials.
“Of course, the main task faces the Ministry of Defence – to squeeze out, drive the enemy out of our territories and, together with the border service, to ensure reliable cover of the state border” Putin said.
Putin also appeared to accuse Ukraine of carrying out war crimes, saying that the enemy was launching “indiscriminate strikes on civilians, on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities”.
Ukraine controls around 1,000 square kilometres in Kursk, according to Ukraine’s General Oleksandr Syrskyi who made the claim on Telegram.
The incursion, which began last week, was first acknowledged by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an address on Saturday night.
In his nightly address posted on social media, the leader acknowledged military actions trying to “push the war out into the aggressor’s territory”.
Zelenskyy also said he plans to draw up a “humanitarian plan” for the area, where around 76,000 residents have been evacuated since the fighting began.
The incursion appears to have caught Moscow off guard, as Russian military leaders are scrambling to contain Ukrainian troops.
Ukrainian military officials have yet to publish their exact aims of the operation, but military experts have suggested the aim is likely to draw Russian reserves away from fighting in the Donetsk region.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the incursion was made “with the sole purpose of intimidating the peaceful population of Russia”.