President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had launched an incursion into Russian territory to “restore justice” and pressure Moscow’s forces, in his first acknowledgement of Kyiv’s surprise offensive into the western Kursk region, News.az reports citing Reuters .
Moscow’s forces on Sunday were in their sixth day of intense battle against Kyiv’s largest incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war, which left southwestern parts of Russia vulnerable before reinforcement started arriving.
Russian authorities rushed to evacuate residents and imposed a sweeping security regime in three border regions on Saturday, while Belarus, a staunch ally of Moscow, sent more troops to its border with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of violating its air space.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he had discussed the operation with top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, vowing to respond in kind after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
