Russian forces will liberate the entire territory of Russia's border province of Kursk from the Ukrainian army in the near future, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu told TASS.
This is a new step forward in what Moscow calls a "counterterrorist" operation, but it has the appearance of a comprehensive counterattack.
In an interview with TASS, Mr. Shoigu emphasized: " Kursk province will soon be clean of armed elements as part of the anti-terrorist campaign. The Flow campaign, which took advantage of the strategic Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhgorod gas pipeline, has gone down in military science history."
Moscow's message is clear: not only reacting, but proactively regaining control of the game in the border area. Gornal - the last village in Kursk that was still occupied by Ukrainian forces - is currently the focus of fierce fighting.
Russian attack groups are believed to have penetrated inside, while the Ukrainian army tried to bring armored vehicles and vehicles close in but were pushed back.
Not stopping in Kursk, Mr. Shoigu also said that the Russian armed forces have now controlled more than 99% of the territory of the People's Republic of Lugansk, along with nearly two-thirds of the provinces of Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, areas that were annexed by Russia after refer referrals.
"We are attacking the entire front line. As each day passes, the situation leans towards us, said Mr. Shoigu.
In just one night on April 23, Russia announced that it had shot down 87 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the sky of many areas, from Crimea, Belgorod, Kursk to the outskirts of Moscow. The UAVs shot down while on the journey are believed to have targeted infrastructure and military targets.
Although no significant casualties or damage were reported, this continues to be a testament to the increasing level of tensions deep in Russia.
Notably, Mr. Shoigu also mentioned the preparation of war crime records of "terrorists from Ukraine and other countries", affirming that "all survivors will be tried as terrorists".
Mr. Shoigu's statement was made in the context of the Ukrainian conflict continuing to last until the third year, with the situation on the battlefield showing signs of changing.
While Ukraine faces a shortage of military aid from the West, Russia appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity to expand its offensive along the frontline, and into areas that previously only played a logistical role.
The "clean-up" of Kursk province, if successful, will mark the first time since the war broke out that an entire border area once controlled by the Ukrainian army has been completely liberated, as the Kremlin called it.
