Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of Russia’s Kursk Oblast, ordered the mandatory evacuation of the town of Glushkovo on August 14 as Ukraine continues to invade the area.
Ukraine’s unprecedented operation, which has been ongoing since last week, appears to have taken Russia by surprise. Kyiv said its forces had taken control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of land after breaking through the weakly defended border.
The evacuation of Glushkovo, which Smirnov said will be supported by the military, police and local volunteers, is the latest call for residents to leave the city.
Two days earlier, Smirnov said that 121,000 people had been evacuated or left Kursk Oblast on their own. He added that authorities plan to evacuate 180,000 people from the region.
Glushkovo is located about 20 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and 68 kilometers northwest of the Russian city of Sudzha.
Ukrainian news showed Ukrainian soldiers removing the Russian flag from Sudzha on August 14.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said on August 13 that the aim of the invasion was to prevent Moscow from sending reinforcements to the front in Donetsk region.
It is also designed to disrupt Russian logistics and prevent cross-border attacks, deterring Ukraine from launching long-range strikes with Western weapons, which continue to be subject to unofficial restrictions by its partners.
The attack on Kursk is a blow to Putin’s prestige and represents Russia’s first ground invasion since World War II
The 1,000 square kilometers that Ukraine controls in Russia’s Kursk Oblast make up only a tiny part of Russia’s vast territory. Politically, however, the surprise Ukrainian move represents one of the biggest challenges to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power. The stunning operation, which was carried out…
