Moscow, August 13 –Russia has conducted a series of missile, drone, and airstrikes against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, which borders Russia, halting what Moscow described as Ukraine's largest offensive on Russian territory since the war began. Russian military officials reported on Tuesday that the counterattacks have successfully stalled Ukraine's advance, which had initially caught Russia by surprise.

The escalation began a week ago when over a thousand Ukrainian troops reportedly crossed the border into Russia, launching a significant and unexpected attack on the Kursk region. According to *Reuters*, this marked Ukraine's most extensive incursion into Russian territory since the conflict started. Ukrainian forces managed to occupy a portion of Russian territory, leading to widespread evacuations and the deployment of Russian reserve forces to counter the assault.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Ukraine initiated this offensive to bolster its position in potential peace negotiations and to disrupt the advance of Russian troops. The unexpected attack forced Russia to evacuate approximately 200,000 people from the affected areas, with many more civilians continuing to flee. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod region, confirmed that residents of the Krasnoyarsk district were evacuated, adding to the thousands already displaced from the neighboring Kursk region.

Reports from Russian military bloggers and officials describe intense fighting along the Kursk border. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that its Su-34 bombers launched successful strikes against Ukrainian positions in the region. During the week-long conflict, Russia reportedly destroyed 35 Ukrainian tanks, 31 armored personnel carriers (APCs), and 179 other armored vehicles.

Major General Apati Alauddinov, a Russian military commander, asserted that the Ukrainian advance has been effectively halted. "The enemy now knows that their plan has not succeeded," he stated.

However, Ukrainian officials provided a contrasting narrative. Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed that Ukrainian forces had captured 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory during the ongoing offensive. He indicated that Ukrainian military operations in the Kursk region were still active, seven days after the initial incursion.

The situation remains fluid, with both sides providing conflicting accounts of the battle's progress and outcomes. As the conflict continues to unfold, the international community watches closely, aware of the potential implications for the broader war between Russia and Ukraine.