Ukrainian troops are “strictly” adhering to international treaties and humanitarian law as they advance toward the western Russian region of Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
This was discussed at a meeting of Ukrainian leaders, Zelensky said on the social media platform X.
Humanitarian aid was prepared for the civilian population of the occupied territories. Representatives of international organizations must be allowed access to the areas.
Ukraine’s emphasis on respecting humanitarian law dates back to the atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kiev nearly two and a half years ago.
In the Bucha suburb of Kiev, numerous civilians were randomly murdered at the time, after which the Russian army was forced to withdraw from the area.
According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, the government meeting decided to grant access to the occupied territories in western Russia to international organizations. These included the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and other international organizations providing humanitarian aid.
Belgorod declares a state of emergency
A state of emergency was declared in the Russian border region of Belgorod on Wednesday as Ukrainian troops advance into Russian territory.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation as “extremely difficult and tense” as border areas are under fire from drones and missiles from Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces repelled 117 drone attacks and destroyed four tactical missiles. It also said Russian military airfields were attacked.
Following the invasion of Ukrainian troops over a week ago, the Kursk region declared a state of emergency of national importance.
Zelensky said Tuesday that his country’s forces have captured dozens of Russian towns in Kursk since the start of the offensive on August 6.
State of emergency allows release of funds
Belgorod has been under attack from Ukraine for quite some time, often with daily cross-border shelling.
Last year, pro-Ukrainian forces even got involved in fighting in Belgorod, which resulted in a number of deaths and considerable destruction. However, in that case, volunteer battalions made up of Russians fighting on the Ukrainian side claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Last week, Ukrainian soldiers briefly appeared in the village of Poroz in the Belgorod region, an unverified video shows.
After visiting the region, Gladkov said residents had been freed and the soldiers had left.
The state of emergency now makes it possible to release additional resources to protect the population, he said.
Ukrainian forces again reported numerous drone attacks from the Russian side overnight, saying that 17 of the 23 attacks were repelled.
Elections despite insulting news
The fighting in Kursk comes at a sensitive time for Moscow, as elections are due to be held in many regions in early September.
Many governors and regional parliaments are up for election, including in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. The city and district of Sudzha, where local elections are also scheduled, are particularly hard-fought.
Election officials in Moscow have decided that citizens in border areas can now vote early because of the conflict.
Deputy election organizer Nikolai Baloev said in Moscow that the expanded options would allow voters to choose where to cast their ballots, including in emergency shelters.
According to Russian authorities, more than 120,000 people have fled the fighting in Kursk so far.
Lithuania says Russian troops have withdrawn from Kaliningrad
Also on Wednesday, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said Russia was moving some troops out of the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad in response to Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region.
“They need more resources and are trying to get them from other areas,” Kasčiūnas told the Baltic news agency BNS, without elaborating.
There has been no confirmation from the Russian side yet.
Kasciunas called the Ukrainian offensive on Russian territory “a moral boost”.
Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine
While the Kursk offensive continues to make headlines, the Russian military is intensifying its attacks on eastern Ukraine.
The General Staff in Kiev reported that attacks on Ukrainian positions near Pokrovsk, northwest of Donetsk, were particularly intense. A total of 54 advances by Russian units were recorded.
Fighting also took place at Toretsk, north of Donetsk, where Russian air strikes were carried out.
Fighting also continues in the area around the northeastern city of Kharkov, where Russia launched an offensive earlier this year.
