The acting governor of Kursk province said on August 12 that Ukraine had taken control of 28 settlements in this border province and that Kiev's forces had advanced 12km into the territory of the Russian Federation in an offensive that began on August 6.

According to Reuters news agency, reporting to Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of the Security Council on August 12, acting Governor of Kursk province, Mr. Alexei Smirnov said that the current situation in Kursk province is very difficult.

Mr. Smirnov said that Ukraine has taken control of 28 settlements in Kursk and penetrated 12km deep into the territory of the Russian Federation with a front width of 40km.

Fighting in Kursk province has so far killed 12 civilians and injured 121 people, including 10 children, according to Mr. Smirnov.

Previously, on August 6, Vietnam time, Ukraine increased artillery fire, followed by a ground attack with the support of tanks and armored vehicles targeting the Kursk province of the Russian Federation.

On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukrainian forces had launched an attempt to penetrate into Kursk Oblast, noting that they had moved reserves to the border and were "attacking Ukrainian troops from the air".

The Russian Federal Emergency Situations Ministry then declared a state of emergency in Kursk, and on August 10, TASS news agency reported that the Russian Federal Anti-Terrorism Committee had imposed anti-terrorist measures in three provinces bordering Ukraine, including Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod, in response to "unprecedented destabilizing actions by Kiev."

According to TASS, in order to ensure the safety of the population and prevent the threat of possible acts by sabotage and reconnaissance units of Ukraine, Chairman of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee and Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia Alexander Bortnikov decided to conduct anti-terrorist operations in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, starting from August 9.

By conducting counter-terrorism operations, the government can relocate people to safe places, control communications, requisition vehicles, stop production activities related to toxic materials, disconnect the internet and other mobile communications, etc.

On August 11, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Moscow had prevented a breakthrough attempt by Ukrainian forces near the settlements of Tolpino and Obshchii Kolodez in the Kursk region, approximately 25 and 30 km from the Russian-Ukrainian border, respectively.

The British BBC called it an indirect admission that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had advanced deep into the Russian Federation's Kursk border province.

A video posted online and confirmed by the BBC also shows Russian forces carrying out the attack near the village of Levshinka, about 25km from the border with Ukraine.

Currently, fighting in Kursk is still going on and Ukraine shows no sign of withdrawing its troops.

According to VNA