Ukrainian officials are preparing for a tough response from Russia to the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, which may include attempts to strike at important facilities in In Kyiv, including the parliament and other government buildings. This was reported to The Times by a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
In his opinion, the Russian side can undertake "something grandiose" to show that Kiev's actions "will not go unpunished."
"And this could be a big problem for our air defense," the source admitted.
Another Ukrainian official, in a conversation with AFP, said that the country is preparing for a response to Russia in the form of a large-scale missile attack, including on "decision-making centers" in Ukraine.
The Times previously called the attack on The Kursk region was the riskiest decision of Vladimir Zelensky, noting that it took both Moscow and Kiev's allies in the West by surprise. The fact that the US administration was not aware in advance of the plans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region was said by White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre, at the same time adding that Washington "supports Ukraine because it protects itself from Russian aggression." The State Department said that Ukraine decides for itself which operations to carry out and which goals to pursue. Advisor to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak called the purpose of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strengthen positions in the negotiations.
The fighting in the Kursk region has been going on since August 6, in addition, shelling and air attacks on the region have become more frequent in recent days. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a "large-scale provocation." The Ministry of Defense reported on the prevention of the advance of Ukrainian troops deep into Russian territory, in particular, on August 11, the department stated. that the Russian military did not allow the breakthrough of the AFU mobile groups in the area of Tolpin, Cranes and A common Well in Korenevsky district. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov promised at a meeting with Putin that "the operation will be completed by defeating the enemy and reaching the state border." Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced a tough response that "will not keep you waiting."
The region has a federal-level emergency regime, as well as a counter-terrorism operation (CTO) regime. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, more than 76 thousand residents were evacuated from the border areas, of which more than 4,400 people are in temporary accommodation facilities, RBC reminds.