Ukraine Launches (Another) Surprise Offensive Against Russia's Kursk Oblast

Ukrainian forces have launched yet another surprise offensive against Russia's Kursk oblast just a month after Moscow claimed to have retaken it - and just days before Putin's latest victory parade in what is seen as a cleverly timed assault that will embarrass the Kremlin and further undermine its military's already tarnished reputation. JL

TVP World reports:

Ukrainian forces, taking advantage of rainy weather conditions breached the border into Russia's Kursk region just a month after Moscow claimed to have expelled Kyiv's forces. They fired missiles, crossed minefields and sent in troops. "The enemy blew up bridges at night, and launched an attack with armored vehicles in the morning. Mine clearance vehicles made passages in minefields followed by armor. There is a heavy battle going on at the border."

Russian military bloggers have reported that Ukraine has breached the border into Russia’s Kursk region, just a month after Moscow claimed to have expelled Kyiv’s forces.Pro-Kremlin bloggers said Ukrainian forces, taking advantage of rainy weather conditions, had fired missiles into the southwestern Russian oblast, crossed minefields, and sent in troops, Reuters reported on Monday.

"The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armored groups in the morning," the news agency quoted war blogger ‘RVvoenkor’ as posting on the Telegram app. "The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armored vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border."

Several other Russian bloggers posted similar information.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv has formally commented on the reports.

Russia's top general said in April that Moscow’s troops were carving out a buffer zone near the Ukrainian border city of Sumy to prevent a counteroffensive.

The incursion comes just days before a three-day truce beginning on May 8 that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had announced to mark the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.