Russia repels more attacks on Kursk, slams US remarks on offensive
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Russia's Defense Ministry says Russian air defenses intercepted further Ukrainian attacks on the Kursk region.
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An image taken from a handout footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on August 6, 2024, shows a Russian drone attack on Ukrainian armored vehicles outside the town of Sudzha, Kursk Region. (Russian Defense Ministry/AFP)
Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted on Thursday two Ukrainian drones over the Kursk and Oryol regions, Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed, a couple of days after Kiev launched a large-scale cross-border offensive into Russian territory.
The Ministry mentioned that the interceptions occurred between 04:20 and 06:20 local time, thwarting attempts by the Ukrainian forces to carry out attacks using aircraft-type UAVs on Russian territory.
Additionally, acting Kursk Region Governor Alexei Smirnov announced on Telegram that air defense forces shot down seven Ukrainian missiles over the Kursk Region.
On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that up to 300 Ukrainian fighters, supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored vehicles, attacked Russian state border protection units in the region. The incursion has prompted the evacuation of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border.
As of Wednesday, the ministry said that up to 260 Ukrainian troops and 50 armored vehicles had been destroyed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of launching a large-scale provocation, pointing out that Ukrainian troops were indiscriminately shelling Russian regions, targeting civilian infrastructure and ambulances.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova labeled Ukraine's shelling of the Kursk Region as another "terrorist attack" aimed at civilians.
US comments on Ukrainian offensive in Kursk 'outrageous': Russia envoy to US
In the same context, the Russian Ambassador to the United States criticized the US officials' response to Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region, calling their public statements "outrageous".
Anatoly Antonov said the American authorities failed to criticize Kiev or express condolences to the victims, condemning the Ukrainian actions as "obvious terrorist acts."
"No one hides the fact that American weapons became the weapon used to kill ordinary Russians," Antonov pointed out.
He added that "attacks on schools, hospitals, ambulances and residential buildings in Russia cannot be recognized as a right to self-defense."
The Russian envoy linked the offensive in the Kursk region to the challenging situation faced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the front lines.
Elsewhere, Antonov stressed the sanctity of Russian borders and called on Washington to cease supplying weapons to Kiev and to punish the "neo-Nazis" from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On Wednesday, the White House announced that it is reaching out to Ukraine to understand the "objectives" behind its cross-border incursion into Russian territory, the most significant in months.
"We're going to reach out to the Ukrainian military to learn more about their objectives," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
She added that Washington supports "common sense" actions by Ukraine to stop attacks by Russian forces.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller dismissed Moscow's condemnations of the Ukrainian attack, stating in a briefing, "I have seen the statements from the Russian government. It is a little bit rich, them calling it a provocation, given Russia violated Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty."
Read more: Western experts question rationale behind Ukrainian attack on Kursk
