Kursk Oblast

Russia said on Sunday that it had thwarted a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack by downing 158 drones across 15 regions, including two over the capital Moscow.

A coal-fired power plant near the city was reported hit, as was an oil refinery within the city boundaries.

Russia claimed Saturday that a group of its forces captured the settlement of Kirove in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

In a statement, the country's Defense Ministry said its Tsentr (Center) forces had captured Kirove, while other army groups had advanced along the frontline.

The barrage of airstrikes that Russia launched against Ukraine over the past two days, with hundreds of drones and missiles, provided punishing evidence of Moscow's enduring military might.

Russia and Ukraine are locked in a war of attrition and destruction following Kyiv’s surprise attack, historically and symbolically significant, that led to the first occupation of Russian territory since 1941, in the Kursk region. But can this major development on the frontlines decide the war’s outcome, or does it push the West’s confrontation with Russia closer to a breaking point?

Russian and Ukrainian forces engaged in another night of reciprocal shelling. Ukrainian drones reportedly ignited several oil tanks in Russia's Rostov region, although it remains unclear if the "Glubokinskaya" oil depot was among the targets.

Since Tuesday morning, there has been intense activity around Belgorod, near Russia’s southern border with Ukraine. Russian Telegram channels, citing their security service connections, report that Ukrainian forces are attempting an incursion, having already attacked a border station in the area.

Moscow announced that it summoned a senior U.S. diplomat today to complain about what it called “provocative actions” by American journalists in the Kursk region of Russia.

Kiev said Friday its incursion into Russian territory had advanced, claiming it aimed to force Russia to negotiate on "fair" terms, as Moscow's troops announced new gains in eastern Ukraine.

Two and a half years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kiev's troops last week launched a major counter-offensive into Russia's Kursk region, sending more than 120,000 people fleeing.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region has declared a state of emergency following recent attacks. The Russian defense ministry reported that over 100 drones and four tactical missiles fired from Ukraine were intercepted overnight, targeting several regions including Kursk.

A fire erupted in Voronezh following a Ukrainian drone strike, with the Voronezh Malshevo believed to have been targeted. Ukrainian army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that the advance into Russian territory southwest of Kursk is progressing. Kyiv recently reported control over more than 74 settlements in the Kursk region.