Russia has declared a "federal-level" state of emergency in the Kursk region, the site of a four-day incursion by Ukrainian forces. The announcement came a few hours after the Ukrainian military strike on the airport there.
In response to the incursion, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was moving additional forces to the region, including Grad multi-barrel missile systems, artillery and tanks, Interfax reported, Radio Free Europe (RSE) English-language newsroom reported.
State media were quick to report on the troop move to Kursk, including video footage of Russian troops on the move, much of it reposted on social media.
The cross-border operation in Russia's Kursk region has been described as the biggest attack on Russian soil since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Much remains unclear, including the number of Ukrainian troops taking part, although the Russian military says it includes about 1.000 troops and more than two dozen armored vehicles and tanks.
Since the incursion began on August 6, Ukrainian troops have taken control of about 600 square kilometers of territory and more than two dozen settlements, according to local officials, pro-war bloggers and open-source intelligence reports.
Ukrainian officials have not officially confirmed the operation, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on August 8 that Russia should "feel" the consequences of its invasion.
"Russia has brought war to our country and should feel what it has done," Zelenskiy said, without directly referring to the offensive.
The Ukrainian military said it struck an airport in the Lipetsk region of southern Russia overnight, damaging a stockpile of guided bombs.
"Several ignition sources were identified, a large fire broke out and multiple detonations were observed," the Kiev military said on the Telegram messaging app.
Earlier, official Russian media, including TASS, reported a fire at a military airport in the Lipetsk region, which is located west of the Kursk region, where the incursion is underway.
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