Russia declares a state of emergency in Belgorod due to Ukrainian attacks

Russia's Belgorod region declared a state of emergency on Wednesday over heavy shelling by Ukrainian forces, which are continuing their incursion into the neighboring Kursk region where they claimed to have seized 74 localities.

"The situation in our Belgorod region continues to be extremely difficult and tense due to shelling by Ukrainian armed forces. Houses were destroyed, civilians were killed and wounded," its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, wrote on Telegram as picked up by AFP.

"In order to ensure greater protection for the population and provide additional support for the victims, a state of emergency will be introduced at the regional level," he added.

After nearly two and a half years of war, Kiev is trying to drive the conflict into Russian territory and on Aug. 6 launched a large-scale operation in the Kursk region that surprised Russian troops.

Offensive on Russian soil

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, noted Tuesday that there was "difficult and intense" fighting in this area, in what is the largest incursion by a foreign army on Russian soil since the end of World War II.

Zelenski claimed that "there are 74 settlements under Ukrainian control" and that "hundreds" of Russians were taken prisoner.

According to his army commander, Oleksander Sirski, Ukrainian troops advanced on the day "between one and three kilometers" at some points and took control of an additional "40 km2". Earlier in the day, Sirski claimed that they dominated 1,000 km2 of Russian territory.

However, Russian forces claimed they had "thwarted attempts" by Ukrainians "to penetrate deep" into Kursk.

But the regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, acknowledged that they had lost control of 28 localities and noted that the Ukrainian operation covers an area 40 kilometers wide and 12 kilometers deep into Russian territory.