Authorities in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions on Monday ordered the evacuation of areas near the border with Ukraine as Kyiv’s forces made apparent advances deeper into Russian territory as part of their ongoing offensive.

Overall, emergency authorities say more than 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe places in the Kursk region since Ukrainian forces stormed across the border early last week.

Nikolai Volobuyev, who heads the Kursk region’s Belovsky district on the border with Ukraine’s Sumy region, issued what he called a “strong request” for residents to flee the area after Ukrainian forces advanced into the area over the weekend.

Russia’s Defense Ministry previously claimed to have successfully repelled Ukraine’s attempt to enter into the Belovsky district.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov ordered the evacuation of the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, which lies directly south of the Belovsky district.

“In the interest of public health and safety, we’re starting to move people who live in Krasnoyaruzhsky to safer locations,” Gladkov said in a video posted on Telegram.

On Friday, Moscow launched counterterrorism operations in the border regions of Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk, giving the military sweeping emergency powers to fight off Kyiv’s surprise offensive.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said early Monday that its air defense systems destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones overnight — including 11 over the Kursk region.

Kyiv has so far maintained strict operational silence on the Kursk offensive and has yet to officially take responsibility for the incusion. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has made oblique references to the fighting, said during an evening address on Saturday that Kyiv was “pushing the war into the aggressor’s territory… proving it can really bring justice and… pressure on the aggressor.”

AFP contributed reporting.

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