Ukranian forces' incursion into Russia's Kursk region came as a bold move for the nation's military personnel, stunning Moscow and other global nations.
With their major cross-border advance on Wednesday, Ukranian forces claimed that they took more ground and captured around 100 Russian prisoners, destroying a bomber in the attacks on military airfields.
In a video posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram channel, General Oleksandr Syrskyi -- commander of the Ukranian military -- said that assault troops advanced 1 to 2 km farther into Kursk.
Meanwhile, after Kursk, Russia declared emergency in another border region of Belgorod following attacks by Ukrainian Forces.
Russia-Ukraine War | LATEST UPDATES
Advance Into Russia 'Going Well'
Ukranian forces on Wednesday further advanced into Russia's Kursk region as Kyiv said that the strategic buffer -- resultant of the advance -- will enable it to protect its border areas from Russian attacks.
Commander of the Ukranian Military, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, informed that assault troops advanced 1 to 2 km farther into areas of Kursk, adding that the troops took more than 100 Russian soldiers prisoner.
Additionally, Ukranian troops destroyed a Russian Su-34 jet, which was used to launch devastating glide bombs at Ukranian front-line positions and cities.
On his Telegram channel, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "Our advance in Kursk is going well today, we are reaching our strategic goal. The 'exchange fund' for our state has also been significantly replenished."
Buffer Zone Created
Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that creation of a "buffer zone" was "designed to protect our border communities from daily enemy attacks".
Notably, Russia has been launching retaliatory strikes at Ukraine amid the rising tensions between the two sides.
Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk also said that their military plans to open humanitarian corridors that would allow civilians in Ukraine-contrlled areas of the Kursk region to head elsewhere in Moscow or into Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has also complained that its defence against Russian attacks has been hamstrung due to the need to respect Western countries' qualms about using their weapons against Russia's hinterland.
Zelenskyy also urged Western allies to lift the limit on using their weapons including long-range missile strikes into Russia.
Largest Attack On Russia Since WW-II
It is noteworthy that the surprise Ukranian push into Kursk, which began on August 6, has rattled the Kremlin. This is the largest attack on Russia since World World II and could involve as many as 10,000 Ukrainian armed troops, military analysts were cited as saying by The Associated Press.
Ukraine has also claimed that overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, it conducted its biggest attack on Russian military airfields since the start of Kremlin's full-fledged invasion in February 2022.
However a Ukranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Kyiv has no intention to occupy the Russian region that it controls. Rather, it aims to stop Russia from firing missiles into Ukraine from Kursk, he added.
Emergency In Another Russian Region
After a federal emergency in Kursk, Russia declared emergency in its border region of Belgorod during heavy shelling from Ukraine.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov termed the situation to be "extremely difficult and tense", as Ukrainian attacks caused civilian casualties and destroyed home and other establishments.
Gladkov -- on his Telegram channel -- said that especially children are moved to safety, adding that about 5,000 children were in camps in safer areas.
The Belgorod Governor said that there had been 23 drone attacks over the past 24 hours in the region. He said that shelling and shrapnel had damaged a church, 14 houses, an administrative building, many vehicles and a gas supply line.
Belgorod lies south of the Kursk region, where Ukraine's deepest incursion took place since Moscow's invasion of Kyiv since 2022.
Putin Vows To Expel Ukrainian Troops
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to expel the Ukranian troops, saying that they aim -- with Western allies' backing -- to give Kyiv a stronger hand in possible future ceasefire talks.
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Ministry posted a video on Telegram that apparently showed Sukhoi Su-34 bombers striking Ukrainian positions in Kursk. Moscow had claimed that it shot down 117 of the Ukrainian drones as well as four missiles.
Russia's National Guard also noted that it was tightening the security at the Kursk nuclear power plant, which is just 35 km from the fighting site.
US Welcomes India's Engagement In Russia-Ukraine War
The United States welcomes India's engagement in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and its efforts to bring peace between the two nations, said US State Department Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel.
"We are in touch with our Indian partners on a number of issues and, of course, would welcome India's engagement in the war between Russia and Ukraine, especially as it relates to ensuring that we get to a just and durable peace that is reflective of what our Ukrainian partners are attempting to do, which is to defend their territorial integrity and sovereignty," Patel said.
Notably, PM Modi is likely to visit Poland and Ukraine from August 21 to 23, news agency PTI reported, adding that no official announcement has been made yet in this regard.
