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![\"Reuters](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c06d\/live\/6c47b120-5a61-11ef-997c-711b7066309d.jpg.webp\")
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nUkraine says its forces are continuing their advance into Russian territory, moving forward in several directions.<\/p>\n
The Russian border region of Kursk came under a surprise attack last week, leading Russian authorities to declare a state of emergency in the area.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said troops had advanced 1-2 km further into Kursk since Wednesday morning, and had also captured 100 Russian soldiers. But Russia claims it has stopped any further advances.<\/p>\n
Now in its second week, this is Ukraine’s deepest incursion into Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The amount of Russian territory seized is uncertain, with both countries making conflicting statements.<\/p>\n
A commander of the Chechen Akhmat special forces unit, Maj-Gen Apti Alaudinov told viewers on Russian state-controlled TV, Channel One, that Russian forces had almost \u201ccompletely blocked\u201d the Ukrainian military from advancing.<\/p>\n
But in a video link to President Zelensky, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated Ukrainian troops were now fully in control of the Kursk border town of Sudzha. <\/p>\n
The BBC is unable to independently verify this claim, but a Ukrainian television report filmed from within the town showed Ukrainian soldiers removing a Russian flag from a school.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Amid Kyiv’s claims of territorial gains, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy said they were not interested in “taking over” Russian territory.<\/p>\n “The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace… the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defence forces into Russia will stop,” he told reporters.<\/p>\n In an earlier meeting with government officials, Mr Zelensky said he would consider setting up \u201cmilitary commandants’ offices\u201d in the region.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Ukraine\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk outlined plans for a \u201csecurity zone\u201d in Kursk, to protect Ukraine\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n Her Telegram post said Ukraine would organise humanitarian aid for Russian civilians within the security zone, and open evacuation corridors to both Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Earlier Russia declared a second state of emergency, this time in the neighbouring Belgorod region, where homes have been damaged in drone attacks and shelling.<\/p>\n Moscow says that overnight it shot down 117 drones overnight, which mainly targeted four regions – Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod and Nizhny Novgorod. <\/p>\n Long-range drones were also fired at Russian airfields in Voronezh and Kursk, as well as Savasleyka and Borisoglebsk, Ukraine’s security services told AFP.<\/p>\n The Ukrainian military quoted a secret service source as calling it a “fun” night at the airports overnight, in what was a specially planned operation.<\/p>\n In his first comments on the operation since it began, US President Joe Biden said that the offensive was \u201ccreating a real dilemma for Putin”.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, various European allies have voiced their support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n The prime ministers of Finland and Estonia said they supported Ukraine’s military operation in Kursk, while Latvia\u2019s foreign minister went a step further by saying Kyiv \u201chas the right\u201d to use Nato weapons on Russian territory.<\/p>\n President Putin had previously described this as a “red line”.<\/p>\n Last week, the German Foreign Ministry said Ukraine was entitled to self-defence which was “not limited to its own territory”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Map](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9074\/live\/2cd36760-5a6a-11ef-997c-711b7066309d.png.webp\")
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