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STORY: :: Russian Defense Ministry

This video from the Russian defense ministry released Thursday (August 8) purports to show its forces striking Ukrainian armored vehicles... on Russian soil.

Fighting in Russia's Kursk region continued for a third day after Ukrainian forces smashed through the Russian border in an audacious attack on the world's biggest nuclear power that has forced Moscow to call in reserves.

:: 'Nachtigall' unit of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Force

Drone footage released by the Ukrainian military purports to show Russian forces surrendering at a border crossing.

Speaking on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, "everyone can see that the Ukrainian army knows how to surprise. And knows how to achieve results." He did not directly reference the Kursk offensive.

:: August 7, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin cast the attack as a "major provocation."

The White House said the United States - Ukraine's biggest backer - had no prior knowledge of the attack and would seek more details from Kyiv.

:: August 4, 2024

Washington has cautioned Ukraine against striking into Russian territory, fearing it could escalate the conflict.

In a televised interview on Thursday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak did not directly address the offensive, but said such maneuvers were both necessary and lawful for a nation under attack.

"International law clearly states that a country waging defensive war has a legal right to execute strikes regardless of how deep certain infrastructure is on the enemy territory. We have a legal right to destroy everything regardless of the distance - be it 100 kilometers, 10 kilometers, or a thousand kilometers deep into Russian Federation territory. This is a legally correct action.”

The operation comes at what could be a critical juncture in the conflict.

:: Russian Defense Ministry

Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could drop off if Republican Donald Trump wins the November presidential election.

Trump has said he would end the war, and both Russia and Ukraine are keen to gain the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield.