Russia Joins Ukrainian Troops On The Third Day After Kursk Border Attack

Kursk, Russia/Alyona Puchnina/TASS

JAKARTA - Russian troops fought against Ukrainian troops for the third day, after Ukraine broke through Russia's borders in the Kursk region.

It was reported that about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers stormed the Russian border in the early hours of August 6 in tanks and armored vehicles, surrounded by drones and artillery strikes.

Ukrainian troops swept through fields and border forests to the north of the border town of Sudzha, the last trans-trans-delivery point of Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, August 8, President Vladimir Putin called the attack a "big provocation". The White House said the United States- Ukraine's biggest supporter - did not know beforehand about the attack and would seek further details from Kyiv.

Russia's most senior general and chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin on Wednesday, August 7, Ukraine's attacks had been contained in the border area.

However, some pro-Russian military bloggers said the fighting continued until Thursday and civilians were evacuated.

Ukrainian troops remain without comment on Kursk's attack. Several Russian bloggers criticized the state of border defense in the Kursk region, saying it was too easy for Ukrainian troops to break through the region.