Russia ‘digging trenches’ around Kursk nuclear plant

Russia appears to be building new defensive trench lines in the Kursk region, not far from a nuclear power plant, according to the BBC.

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his military was now pushing the war onto “the aggressor’s territory”.

A video analysed by the BBC showed heavy machinery next to a long line of piled earth, just south-east of the Kursk nuclear plant.

Contrasting satellite imagery of the same location captured yesterday showed what appeared to be several newly constructed trench lines in the vicinity.

Russia has cast the Ukrainian attack – which military analysts say caught the Kremlin off-guard – as a major provocation, and vowed a “tough response”.

Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, said it had “raised morale” and was “restoring justice”.

05:15 PM BST

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05:14 PM BST

Moscow vows ‘tough response’ to Ukraine’s offensive inside Russia

Russia’s foreign ministry has vowed a “tough response” to Ukrainian attacks on its border regions.

The warning comes after president Vladimir Putin cast the Ukrainian attack – which military analysts say caught the Kremlin off-guard – as a major provocation.

“A tough response from the Russian army will not be long in coming,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Russian officials said that 15 people were injured late on Saturday when the wreckage of a downed Ukrainian missile fell on a multi-storey building in Kursk. Russia has imposed a sweeping security regime in three border regions, and evacuated more than 76,000 people.

04:42 PM BST

Russia builds extra defences near nuclear plant

Russia appears to be building new defensive trench lines in the Kursk region, not far from a nuclear power plant, according to the BBC.

A video analysed by the BBC shows heavy machinery next to a long line of piled earth running parallel to the E38 road, just south-east of the Kursk nuclear plant.

Contrasting satellite imagery of the same location captured yesterday shows what seem to be several newly constructed trench lines in the vicinity, with the nearest roughly 8km (5 miles) from the power station.

04:18 PM BST

‘No additional Belarusian troops near Ukraine’s border’

Ukraine can not see any additional Belarusian troops being deployed to its border, the State Border Guard Service has said.

The statement came a day after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered reinforcements to border areas near Ukraine, following reports of several drones from Ukraine getting shot down over Belarus on Aug 9.

“The situation along the border is fully controlled. We do not record the movement of either equipment or personnel near our border,” said State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko.

04:05 PM BST

Russia sets up 20 accomodation centres for evacuees

Evacuation of civilians living in Russia’s border areas with Ukraine has continued today.

Russian state television aired footage of evacuees at a tent camp in the city of Kursk.

According to the report by RTR, more than 20 temporary accommodation centers have been set up in the region.

03:31 PM BST

MoD update on destruction of Bakhmut

The Ministry of Defence has compiled a selection of before-and-after images to show the destruction of Bakhmut, Ukraine, since the Russian offensive of the city.

03:26 PM BST

‘We are on the offensive,’ says Ukraine

Thousands of Ukrainian troops are taking part in a major incursion into Russian territory, aiming to destabilise Russia by showing up its weaknesses, a top Ukrainian official has told AFP.

Russia’s army on Sunday appeared to acknowledge Ukraine had pierced deep into its territory in the six-day offensive, saying it had hit Ukrainian troops and equipment in places around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.

“We are on the offensive. 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 border,” the security official said on condition of anonymity.

03:09 PM BST

Russia appeals to UN

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said she had sent an appeal to the United Nations demanding it condemn Ukraine’s actions in Kursk.

In a Telegram post, Ms Moskalkova said she was asking the UN Human Rights commissioner to “take measures to prevent gross mass violations of human rights”.

02:54 PM BST

Analysis: Ukraine struggles to gain support in Africa after claims it helped rebel group

Ben Farmer reports:

Ukraine’s foreign minister was this week supposed to have been in Africa winning allies and spreading Kyiv’s influence on a continent that has often remained stubbornly neutral, at best, over Putin’s invasion.

As Dmytro Kuleba set out he said he wanted to discuss “the participation of African states in global efforts to restore a just peace for Ukraine and the world”.

Instead his trip to Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius was overshadowed by anger from several other African countries that Kyiv had appeared to boast of helping Tuareg rebels massacre a force of Russian mercenaries.

After appearing to suggest Ukraine had given the rebels intelligence, Ukrainian media published a photo purporting to show Tuareg fighters waving a Ukraine flag.

The suggestion led two countries to suspend diplomatic ties with Ukraine and a West African regional power bloc to warn against foreign meddling.

The incident highlighted not only the ongoing war for influence being waged far beyond Europe’s battlefields, but also how far Ukraine has to catch up with Russia in Africa and the potential perils of intervening.

Read the full story here

02:39 PM BST

Ukrainian soldiers tear down Russian flag in Kursk

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Ukrainian soldiers have removed a Russian flag from a council building in the Kursk region, as Kyiv continues its attacks on the border region.

In a video shared online, two soldiers who appear to be dressed in Ukrainian uniform, break down the flag in Sverdlikovo and throw it on the ground.

Another video circulating shows destroyed military vehicles lining the side of the road – inside some are injured or dead soldiers.

02:27 PM BST

Soldiers raise Ukrainian flag in Russian village

A group of soldiers have filmed themselves raising a Ukrainian flag while trampling a Russian one in a video uploaded to social media and located by the BBC to an administrative building in the village of Guevo, in the Kursk region of Russia.

This village is just over 3km (1.8 miles) into Russia.

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02:18 PM BST

Watch: Ukrainian tanks in Sumy region

01:56 PM BST

Dozens of marked Ukrainian armoured vehicles visible in border region

Dozens of armoured Ukrainian vehicles daubed with a white triangle have been traversing the border region of Sumy, where Kyiv’s army have mounted an incursion inside Russian territory, AFP journalists reported Sunday.

The reporters in the border territory witnessed military vehicles of varying types marked with the insignia, apparently used to identify hardware being used by Ukraine for its offensive in Russia’s western Kursk region.

01:29 PM BST

Moscow says hit Ukraine units 30 km into Russian territory

Russia’s army appeared to acknowledge on Sunday that Ukrainian units had driven deep into the country, saying it had hit troops and equipment around 30 kilometres from the border.

Kyiv launched a surprise border incursion last Tuesday, shocking Russia, which has sent in additional reserves, tanks, drones, artillery and aviation to try to quash the offensive.

The defence ministry in Moscow said Sunday that its troops had “foiled attempts by enemy mobile groups with armoured vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory.”

01:09 PM BST

Aerial images show Ukrainian tanks in Kursk region

12:47 PM BST

Russian army hit Ukraine troops around 30 km into its territory

Russia’s army said it had halted Ukraine’s advance into its western Kursk region in several places, hitting troops and equipment in areas up to 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.

The defence ministry said Russian troops had “foiled attempts by enemy mobile groups with armoured vehicles to break through deep into Russian territory”, including near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, 25 km and 30 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

12:25 PM BST

Russia pledges ‘tough response’ to Ukraine border strikes

Russia’s army will deliver a “tough response” to Ukrainian attacks on its border regions, the foreign ministry in Moscow said Sunday.

“A tough response from the Russian army will not be long in coming,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said , after Russia said a Ukrainian missile strike on the city of Kursk injured 15.

12:12 PM BST

Analysis: Nuclear power swap video ‘fake’

The Kremlin has described a video of foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova allegedly offering to transfer control of a captured nuclear power station to Ukraine as a “deep fake”.

In the video, Ms Zakharova is shown offering to trade control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that Russian forces captured in February 2022 in exchange for guarantees that Ukrainian forces will not capture the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in their invasion of Russia this week.

“Ukrainian special services, with the assistance of Western curators, continue to use deepfake and other artificial intelligence-based technologies to spread false information about the situation in the border regions of our country,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In the video released on social media, Ms Zakharova is seen making a statement in what appears to be an official Russian Foreign Ministry briefing room.

The lip-synch with the video, though, is poor.

11:57 AM BST

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile attack in Kyiv region

11:41 AM BST

Palestinian president to visit Russia on Monday

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas will visit Moscow next week to discuss the Gaza war with Russian president Vladimir Putin, a Palestinian envoy said.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency cited the Palestinian ambassador in Moscow as saying Mr Abbas will arrive on Monday and meet Mr Putin on Tuesday.

Abbas heads the Fatah Palestinian movement, a rival to Hamas.

Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal said the two leaders would discuss events in Gaza since the October 7 attacks on Israel. “They will talk about Russia’s role, what can be done.”

He added: “We have a very difficult situation, and Russia is a country that is close to us. We need to consult each other.”

Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East – including Israel and the Palestinians.

But since the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s own offensive on Ukraine, Mr Putin has moved closer to Israel’s foes, Hamas and Iran.

The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks and called for restraint.

11:00 AM BST

How Ukraine seized a foothold inside Russia with first invasion since Second World War

Early last week Russian commanders in Kursk warned of an unusual build-up of Ukrainian forces on the border.

Drones had begun to hammer at trench lines manned by inexperienced border guards.

But Moscow paid little heed to the situation on this hitherto quiet section of the frontline in Ukraine’s north-east.

Facing little resistance, Kyiv’s forces hauled up electronic warfare systems to the front and knocked out Russian communications.

First-person view drones (FPV) also targeted and struck Russian surveillance drones used to provide a birds-eye view on the marshy fields below.

Then, at 8am on Tuesday morning, came the thrust. Hundreds of Ukrainian troops, supported by a dozen tanks and more armoured vehicles steamed across the border.

It was the first foreign invasion of Russia since the Second World War.

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Read the full analysis here

10:46 AM BST

Zelensky says Russia used North Korean missile in deadly Kyiv region strike

Russian forces likely used a North Korean missile during an overnight air strike on the Kyiv region that left a father and his four-year-old son dead, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.

“According to preliminary information, the Russians used a North Korean missile in this attack - yet another deliberate terrorist strike against Ukraine,” he wrote on social media.

“Pyrotechnic experts are still working to determine the exact data regarding this missile.”

10:25 AM BST

Ukraine says it destroyed 53 Russian drones during overnight strike

Ukrainian forces destroyed 53 out 57 attack drones launched by Russia during an overnight air strike, Kyiv’s air force said on Sunday.

The drones were destroyed across various parts of Ukraine during the attack, which the air force said also included four North Korean-made missiles.

10:08 AM BST

Zelensky confirms military pushing into ‘the aggressor’s territory’

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in his late night address on Saturday that Ukraine’s military was now pushing the war onto “the aggressor’s territory” as attacks on the border region continued.

Moscow’s forces are in their sixth day of intense battles against Kyiv’s largest incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war. More than 76,000 people have been evacuated from the area.

In a sign of the gravity of the situation, Russia imposed a sweeping security regime in three border regions on Saturday, while Belarus, a staunch ally of Moscow, sent more troops to its border with Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky thanked Ukraine’s “warriors”, and said he had discussed the ongoing operation in Russia with the country’s top military commander – Oleksandr Syrskyi.

“Today, I received several reports from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor’s territory,” Mr Zelensky said. “Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor.”

09:51 AM BST

Incursion into Russia ‘has greatly raised our morale’, says Kyiv official

The Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has “greatly raised” morale in the country, a senior Ukrainian security official told AFP.

“This has greatly raised our morale, the morale of the Ukrainian army, state and society,” the official said, adding: “This operation has shown that we can go on the offensive, move forward.”

09:45 AM BST

Ukraine says it will respect international law in Russia incursion

Ukraine will “strictly observe humanitarian law” during its incursion into Russia and does not plan to annex any territory, a senior Ukrainian security official told AFP.

“It is very important that Ukraine does not violate any convention. We strictly observe humanitarian law: we do not execute prisoners, we do not rape women, we do not loot,” the official said on condition of anonymity, contrasting this position with multiple alleged violations by Russian troops.

09:38 AM BST

Downed Ukraine drone damages administrative building in Voronezh

Debris from a downed Ukraine-launched drone damaged an administrative building and a utility facility in the Russian city of Voronezh, the governor of the Voronezh region said on Sunday.

There were no injuries, Governor Alexander Gusev wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

09:37 AM BST

In pictures: Ukraine’s border offensive

09:28 AM BST

Kursk officials say 13 people injured after residential building hit by debris

Early on Sunday, Kursk officials said 13 people were injured in the city after debris from a destroyed Ukrainian missile fell onto a nine-storey residential building.

It was not clear whether there was further damage. Moscow and Kyiv rarely disclose the full extent of damage inflicted by attacks on them unless there are injuries or damage to residential buildings.

Alexei Smirnov, Kursk’s acting governor, ordered local authorities to speed up the evacuation of civilians in areas at risk.

On Saturday, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported that more than 76,000 people had been evacuated.

09:22 AM BST

Father and four-year-old son killed in Kyiv region

Two people were killed, including a four-year old boy, in a Russian drone and missile barrage on the Kyiv region overnight into Sunday.

The bodies of a 35-year old man and his son were found under rubble after fragments of missiles fell on a residential area in Kyiv’s suburban Brovary district, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Another three people in the district were also injured in the attack.

Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration said the it was the second time this month Kyiv was targeted.

Mr Popko said ballistic missiles did not reach the capital but that suburbs took the hit, while drones aiming for the capital were shot down.

09:16 AM BST

Russia says it downs 14 Ukraine-launched drones over Kursk region

Russia’s air defence units destroyed 14 Ukraine-launched drones and four Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles over the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday.

Sixteen drones were downed over the Voronezh region, several hundred kilometres south of Moscow, and three drones over the border Belgorod region, it said.

One drone each was destroyed over the Bryansk and Orlov regions, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.