Ukraine keeps pounding Kursk in incursion Biden calls 'real dilemma' for Putin
Ukraine claims control of 74 settlements in Kursk
Russia says it halted advance of Kyiv's troops
Another Russian boarder region at risk, governor says
Adds context, quotes, Belgorod in paragraphs 12-19
By Lidia Kelly
Aug 14 (Reuters) -Ukraine kept pounding the Russian border region of Kursk with missiles and drones on Wednesday, as Kyiv said it had made further territorial gains in an incursion that U.S. President Joe Biden called a "real dilemma" for the Kremlin's leader.
Four Ukraine-launched missiles were destroyed over Kursk and the whole region was under air raid alerts on and off most of the night, its regional acting governor said early Wednesday.
Kyiv said on Tuesday it had taken control of 74 settlements in Kursk, a week after thousands of Ukrainian soldiers launched a startling attack through the Russian border.
Ukraine's account has jarred with Russia's assertions that Kyiv's troops had been halted and attacks had been repelled at villages about 26 to 28 km (16 to 17 miles) from the border.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the battlefield situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attack was aimed at improving Kyiv's negotiating position ahead of possible talks and slowing Russia's frontline advance.
The incursion has suddenly shifted the dynamics of the war, which Moscow started with its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in 2022, giving President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the firstsignificant gains after months of Moscow's steady territorial advances into Ukraine.
Biden, in his first substantive comments, said Washington is in constant contact with Kyiv about the operation, although the White House said earlier it was not engaged in any aspect of planning or preparation.
"It's creating a real dilemma for Putin," Biden said.
A Russian military blogger close to the defence ministry who goes by the name "Rybar" said on the Telegram messaging app that Ukrainian forces were attacking in several areas at once. Russian troops were "pinning down" Kyiv soldiers, striking their armoury, while reinforcements were arriving.
Kursk's acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, said on Telegram that Russian soldiers were "fighting shoulder to shoulder" for victory in what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" against Ukraine.
NEXT STEPS?
It was not clear which side was in control of the Russian town of Sudzha, through which Russia delivers gas from Western Siberia through Ukraine and on to Slovakia and other European Union countries. Gazprom said Tuesday it was still pumping gas to Ukraine through Sudzha.
While some U.S. officials said Washington is still trying to figure out exactly what Kyiv is doing, others said that the goal appears to be to force Russia to pull troops out of Ukraine to defend Russian territory.
Zelenskiy said that Kyiv's forces had rounded up Russian prisoners of war who could be swapped for captured Ukrainian fighters, touting what he described as an expanding "exchange fund".
Shown speaking via video link, the Ukrainian leader asked his top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to develop the next "key steps" in the operation. Syrskyi replied: "Everything is being executed according to the plan."
At the United Nations, Russia called out Kyiv's allies for not condemning the incursion.
On Wednesday, the governor of another Russian border region, Belgorod, south of Kursk, declared a state of emergency, citing continued attacks by Ukrainian forces. He said he will be asking Moscow to declare a federal emergency situation.
"The situation in the Belgorod region continues to be extremely difficult and tense," the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Miral Fahmy
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
