Ukrainian advance stalls as Russian forces hold Kursk frontline

"The actions of units protecting the state border, along with the border guard and support units, missile force strikes, and artillery fire halted the enemy's advance into the territory towards Kursk," said General Valery Gerasimov, reporting on the situation in the Kursk region.

He added that the attack took place on 6 August at 04:30 GMT. "Ukrainian units numbering up to a thousand people began an offensive to occupy part of the Sudzha region in the Kursk region," reports RIA Novosti.

The Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces connected with Vladimir Putin via video link, reporting from one of the command points. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov accompanied Putin.

The Kremlin released a recording of the meeting. Vladimir Putin's facial expressions were noticeable when Valery Gerasimov began reporting the Kursk region's situation. The president of Russia grimaced and sighed heavily.

There is a noticeable contradiction in the messages from Russian authorities. "Just yesterday, the governor of the Kursk region assured that Ukrainian units had not even managed to break through the state border. Today, however, it appears these assurances were somewhat exaggerated. General Valery Gerasimov convinced Vladimir Putin that the advancing troops were stopped," notes the Belsat portal.

The governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoyt, announced that local authorities "organised the evacuation of residents from the shelled areas and prepared temporary accommodation points." Within one day, several thousand people left the zone of shelling and warfare, reports the Russian agency RIA Novosti.

Source: RIA Novosti, Belsat