Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has praised his army's ability "to surprise" and "achieve results" as it battles Russian forces during an audacious cross-border attack into Russian territory.
Around 1,000 Ukrainian troops in tanks and armoured vehicles successfully broke through the Russian border and into the Kursk region in the early hours of Tuesday with air support from swarms of drones and pounding artillery, according to Russian officials.
Russia has since declared a state of emergency in the region and local officials said yesterday that thousands of people had been evacuated following the attack that an angry Vladimir Putin has labelled a “major provocation”.
While Ukrainian officials haven’t spoken directly about the attack, including Mr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to the president said that “the root cause of any escalation”, including into Kursk, was “unequivocal aggression” on the part of Russia in believing it could invade Ukraine without consequences.
He also suggested on the country’s national television news broadcast that the military actions could strengthen Ukraine’s position during any future negotiations with Russia to end the war.
Esta historia es de la edición August 09, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 09, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Djokovic faces monumental task at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic could play Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and may also have to face world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 1 Jannik Sinner if he is to win a 25th grand slam title in Melbourne.
Potter's West Ham gamble is a make-or-break moment
Doubts remain over new Hammers man after Chelsea failure
'Woody told us all week we would get Newcastle away!'
After more than a century in the lower tiers, League Two side Bromley FC are finally in the spotlight with their FA Cup tie
Ambitious Everton look for upgrade on the Dyche grind
Sean Dyche was never the manager Everton really wanted.
Everton ease to FA Cup win as team reboot starts
They are not used to cheering the men in the technical area.
THE ART OF NOISE
Alt-popper Ethel Cain lashes listeners with sound on her experimental second LP, 'Perverts'. Helen Brown submits
Kidman is utterly fearless in unabashedly sexy 'Babygirl'
Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn has made a BDSM film rife with fumbling uncertainty, and comedy-drama 'A Real Pain' manages to stay honest,
The secret shame that saw Callas retreat into obscurity
She was the opera diva with a tumultuous and tragic private life but something else would derail her career as one of the greatest singers of all time, as Meghan Lloyd Davies explains
At home with Gen Zzzzz
Being boring has never been more in - but Kate Rossiensky wonders if the humblebore lifestyle is a deflection technique
PLAYING DUMB
As the thoroughly decent (and rather smart) Kasim is ejected from 'The Traitors', Helen Coffey asks whether intelligence has become a hindrance that should be concealed at all costs