Ukraine's border incursion: Putin labels it a major provocation

On August 7, Russia claimed it was battling Ukrainian forces in intense confrontations after they infiltrated its southern border near a crucial natural gas transmission hub, highlighting one of the most substantial incursions into Russian territory since the war began.

During a meeting with his Cabinet members, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the incursion in the Kursk region as a “significant provocation” by Ukraine and announced plans to convene with senior defense and security officials to address the matter.

Putin said,"We will have to start with the events in the Kursk region. As you know, the Kyiv regime has undertaken another large-scale provocation and launched indiscriminate shelling of civilian buildings, residential houses, ambulances with different types of weapons, including missiles."

Putin directed the Cabinet to organize support for the Kursk region and said that he will hold a meeting with security officials to get an update on the current situation.

Russian authorities announced on Wednesday that they were countering Ukrainian incursions in a southwestern border province for the second day in a row, with Kyiv officials remaining silent about the operation's details.

The head of the Kursk border region in Russia appealed to local citizens to donate blood amid the fierce fighting.