The Ukrainian advances in western Russia were commented on in more detail for the first time by President Zelensky, albeit indirectly, in a speech to the nation.
Zelensky referred to the Chief of the Army, Oleksandr Syrskyj, who "has reported from the front several times".
I am grateful to each of our defense forces' groups that are involved. Ukraine is proving that the country can really bring justice and guarantee exactly the kind of pressure that is required – pressure on the aggressor.
Enormous Evacuation
The speech came hours after Moscow was forced to announce that over 10,000 inhabitants in the Kursk region had been evacuated as a direct result of the Ukrainian attacks.
"Over 76,000 people have been temporarily evacuated to safe places", quoted the state-controlled news agency Tass local rescue authorities.
Risks at Nuclear Power Plant
The Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive threatens the nuclear power plant in Kursk.
"The Ukrainian army's actions constitute a direct threat to the nuclear power plant in Kursk near the border with Ukraine" stated Rosatom according to Russian state news agencies.
The UN's atomic energy agency IAEA urges both Kiev and the Kremlin to "exercise maximum restraint", reports The Kyiv Independent. According to IAEA's Director-General Rafael Mariano, an accident at the nuclear power plant would have "potential for serious radiological consequences".
Russian "Anti-Terror" Operation
As a result of Ukraine's offensive, Russia is strengthening its presence in several regions near the border with Ukraine and has launched what the Kremlin calls an "anti-terror operation" in the regions of Kursk, Brjansk, and Belgorod.
In a statement from the Russian anti-terror committee, it is stated that the decision came into force to "guarantee citizens' safety and suppress the threat of terrorist acts carried out by the enemy's sabotage groups".
During "anti-terror" operations, phone calls can be monitored, areas can be declared forbidden zones, vehicles can be seized, and movements can be restricted, according to Russian law.
