Residents are being evacuated from Russia's Kursk region after Ukrainian forces conducted a series of cross border raids on Tuesday, with videos on social media showing scenes akin to a war zone.
Alexei Smirnov, acting governor for the region said on Telegram that five civilians have been killed and 20 others have been injured as fierce clashes ensue. The situation is "controllable", he said.
Both Ukraine and Russia deny targeting civilians in the war. Newsweek has contacted Ukrainian authorities for comment by email.
The Context
Russia's Kursk borders Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region. Anti-Kremlin militia groups previously launched cross-border raids into Russia's Belgorod region.
What We Know
Ukrainian troops have so far captured at least six Russian servicemen, according to the Russian Telegram channel Pepel. Independent Russian publication iStories identified two of the men as 22-year-old Danil Kolesnikov and 21-year-old Maksim Khyamelyainen, who were reportedly captured as they attempted to cross the border into Ukraine.
Some 90 percent of residents from Kursk's Sudzhansky District have been evacuated from four settlements, RBC Ukraine reported. Others in the region have complained about a lack of shelters, and some have directed their complaints to governor Smirnov, writing: "When will you set up shelters? How long will you torment people?"
Russia's Ministry of Defense said its forces have pushed back a number of raids attempts by Ukraine near Nikolayevo-Darino and Oleshnya in Kursk, and that it had deployed reserve troops to the region.
In a statement on Telegram, the defense ministry said Ukraine attacked the region and its forces with 300 Ukrainian soldiers from its 22nd Mechanized Brigade, 11 tanks and more than 20 armored personnel carriers.
Videos from Kursk shared on social media showed fighter jet flyovers and the charred remains of armored vehicles as pro-Putin milbloggers claimed three Russian villages were under Ukrainian control.
The Russian Telegram channel Rybar, founded by Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former employee of Russia's Defense Ministry, reported that Ukrainian formations gained a foothold in the border zone, "despite intensive strikes and attacks by Russian troops."
"The situation in the Sudzhansky District... remains difficult," Rybar said. "According to preliminary information, there are up to 400 members of Ukrainian formations in the territory of the Kursk region controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the same time, the enemy command continues to transfer reserves to the area."
Views
Rybar said the situation in the Kursk region "demonstrates that this operation has been planned by the enemy for a long time."
"At the same time, the offensive in this area may continue for at least several more days, especially against the backdrop of a significant concentration of Ukrainian forces in the border zone," the channel said.
"And all this for the sake of filling the Ukrainian media feed with their 'successes' in battles on Russian territory, in order to overshadow the collapse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense in other areas," Rybar added.
Other Russian military bloggers have said that Ukraine may be attempting to divert Russia's resources from elsewhere in the war-torn country.
What's Next?
Smirnov said in his latest post on Telegram that there is a danger of missiles striking the region, and urged residents to take shelter.
"Missile danger! If you are at home, you need to take shelter in rooms without windows with solid walls: in the hallway, bathroom, storage room. If you are outside, go into the nearest building or a suitable opening," Smirnov added.
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