Russia promises swift retaliation as Ukrainian forces advance

The spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, has once again attacked Ukraine. "Kyiv will not have to wait long for our tough response," said the Kremlin propagandist, commenting on the Ukrainian operation in Russia’s western regions.

Many pieces of information provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information warfare conducted by the Russian Federation.

Since August 6, Ukraine has operated in Russia's Kursk region. Dozens of villages have been taken, and the fighting is taking place in the Sudzha area. Russia had to evacuate 84,000 residents. Now, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, has spoken.

"Kyiv will not have to wait long for the response of the Russian army. This will not take long. Russia condemns the ongoing terrorist attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, killing, and intimidating civilians," she said at a press conference, repeating Russian lies.

At the start of last week, Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region and took numerous villages. On Friday evening, Russian authorities introduced an "anti-terrorist operation regime" in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, which border Ukraine.

In response to the Ukrainian strike, Russia began evacuations of several border areas. A total of 84,000 people were relocated. According to the "Washington Post," the Ukrainian operation poses the greatest challenge to Vladimir Putin since the Wagner Group mercenaries' rebellion and their "march on Moscow" in June 2023.

On Sunday, AFP reported that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are participating in the offensive, which aims to destabilize Russia. "The goal is to stretch enemy positions, cause maximum losses, and destabilize the situation in Russia, as they are unable to defend their own border," said a security forces representative, requesting anonymity.