The Russian military claims to have repelled an incursion by 300 Ukrainian soldiers who managed to enter six miles into the Kursk border region.

Moscow said around 300 troops from Ukraine had launched a cross-border attack in a hitherto peaceful part of the front, with reports of fighting 10 kilometers deep into Russian territory.

Moscow's Defense Ministry said "300 Ukrainian militants" from Ukraine's 22nd Mechanized Brigade launched the attack at 8 a.m., backed by "11 tanks and more than 20 armored fighting vehicles."

Fighting took place during the day between the border villages of Nikolayevo-Darino and Oleshnya in the Kursk region, and spread into Russian territory 10 kilometers from the front line - where Ukrainian tanks destroyed two Russian military trucks.

Although Russia claims to have repelled the incursion, reports from Russian military bloggers and images on social media have indicated that the Ukrainian attack was substantial and targeted, although it is unclear what the intent of this attack was.

Rybar, a popular Russian military blogger, claims that in the Kursk region, fighting continues in the border areas. "Judging by the latest footage, Ukrainian formations managed to advance deep into Russian territory," the blogger wrote.

This claim contradicts claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that the Ukrainian attack was repelled.

"After suffering losses, the Ukrainian saboteur group retreated to its territory, while some of the fighters tried to consolidate their positions directly on the territory in close proximity to the state border, where they were blocked by Russian army units," the statement said. of the Ministry.

Military analysts point to an attempt by Ukraine, whose defenses are strained, to divert some Russian forces to defend a part of the front line that has been largely inactive since spring 2022 – and also to reinforce it – as one of the possible targets of this attack. combat morale.

However, critics in Ukraine argue that such attacks have no long-term useful military purpose. In March of this year, Russian guerrilla groups fighting against the Kremlin launched attacks from Ukrainian territory in the Belgorod and Kursk regions in March, but were repulsed by Russian troops to no strategic advantage.

Earlier, Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk region, said that Russian soldiers and FSB forces had repulsed the Ukrainian attack and that three Russian civilians had been killed and 18 others wounded.

Russia said it had launched airstrikes against Ukrainian armor, and reserve forces had been moved to reinforce the front line, destroying 16 of the attackers' armored units, including six tanks.

Casualties on both sides could not be verified and initial reports of battlefield casualties were often exaggerated.