Editor's note: The latest articles on Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast can be found here.
Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered the territory of the Belovsky district in Russia's Kursk region overnight on Aug. 11, head of the district, Nikolai Volobuev, claimed.
The Ukrainian military launched the incursion across the border on Aug. 6. Kyiv has so far maintained a policy of silence on the incursion, despite the ongoing fighting and Ukraine advancing deeper into Russian territory.
According to Volobuev, the group's appearance created "a lot of panic" in the Belovsky district. He described the current situation as "stable, but very tense."
The Belovsky district is located some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Sudzha, a town in Kursk region, in less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine. Ukrainian troops posted video footage on Aug. 9, claiming to be on the outskirts of Sudzha.
"Today we do not understand some moments in the border areas," Volobuev said in his video address on Telegram.
Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk region, claimed that there are no clashes in Belovsky and Oboyansky districts as of morning of Aug. 11.
"Border guards and military protect the border," he added.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Anti-Kremlin Russian armed groups fighting for Ukraine and Ukrainian military intelligence have previously entered Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, although without holding territory for long. This is the first time regular Ukrainian forces have entered Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 10 that Ukrainian forces have begun "to push the war out into the aggressor's territory," which marked his first public acknowledgement of Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Kursk region.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry also said on Aug. 9 that the situation in Kursk region had been declared a "federal emergency," and began sending additional military equipment into the region.
Ukrainian media reported on Aug. 10 that Ukrainian troops had apparently entered the village of Poroz, in Russia’s Belgorod region, three kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.
Dominic Culverwell
