Russia battles to contain Ukraine push

Ukrainian servicemen drive Soviet-made T-64 tanks in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on August 11, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia on Monday ordered more evacuations in a region bordering Ukraine as it battled to contain an unprecedented push onto its territory by Kiev forces.

Ukraine last week sent troops into Russia's border region of Kursk, in the largest cross-border operation by Kiev since Moscow launched its offensive more than two years ago.

The assault, which has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing, marked the most significant attack by a foreign army on Russian territory since World War II.

A top Ukrainian official told AFP that the operation was aimed at stretching Moscow troops and destabilising the country after months of slow Russian advances across the frontline.

The assault appeared to catch the Kremlin off guard, with Moscow's army rushing in reserve troops, tanks, aviation, artillery and drones in a bid to quash it.

Despite the efforts, the army on Sunday conceded that Ukraine had been able to penetrate its territory by up to 30 kilometres (20 miles) in places.

In a daily briefing on the situation in the western Kursk region, the defense ministry said it had "foiled attempts" by Ukraine's forces to "break through deep into Russian territory" using armoured vehicles.

But it said some of those forces were near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, some 25 kilometres and 30 kilometres from the Russia-Ukraine border.

A Ukrainian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that "the aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilise the situation in Russia as they are unable to protect their own...