MOSCOW: Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said on Thursday that Russia will send more troops to defend the border region of Belgorod amid Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into the neighbouring Kursk region.
The Defence Minister said this during a meeting with regional officials, including Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The decision to send additional troops to Belgorod comes as Ukraine has intensified its operations, sending troops and armored vehicles into the Kursk region on August 6. Ukrainian forces have claimed control over several dozen villages, marking the most severe cross-border attack on Russian soil since World War II.
Minister Belousov said that the Russian military is preparing “concrete actions” to defend Belgorod, which is facing increasing threats from Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks. “We are allocating additional forces to ensure the security of the Belgorod region,” Belousov stated.
On Wednesday, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov declared a state of emergency in the region, describing the situation as “extremely difficult.” The declaration followed a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on multiple villages and the town of Shebekino, which have resulted in at least six injuries, according to Gladkov’s update on Telegram.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that its forces had successfully recaptured the village of Krupets in the Kursk region, which had been seized by Ukrainian troops earlier. The ministry claimed that Russian forces had “completed the destruction of the enemy” and restored control over the settlement.
The Russian military also stated that its forces are actively engaged in repelling ongoing Ukrainian attempts to advance further into Russian territory. Utilizing aircraft, artillery, and drones, Russian forces have reportedly thwarted the latest Ukrainian attacks, including efforts by mobile groups to breach deeper into Russia.
Moscow said that using aircraft, artillery and drones, its forces had “foiled the latest enemy attacks” including attempts to break through deeper into Russian territory using mobile groups.
