NNA - Russia on Monday evacuated civilians from parts of a second region next to Ukraine after Kyiv increased military activity near the border just days after its biggest incursion into sovereign Russian territory since the start of the 2022 war.

Ukrainian forces rammed through the Russian border last Tuesday and swept across some western parts of Russia's Kursk region, a surprise attack that may be aimed at gaining leverage in possible ceasefire talks after the U.S. election in November.

Apparently caught by surprise, Russia by Sunday had stabilised the front in the Kursk region, though Ukraine had carved out a sliver of Russian territory where battles were continuing on Monday, according to Russian war bloggers.

In the neighbouring Belgorod region to the south, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said evacuations had begun from the Krasnaya Yaruga District due to "enemy activity on the border".

Russia's TASS state news agency said 11,000 people had been evacuated from the Krasnaya Yaruga District alone, and Russian state television showed footage of volunteers helping civilians leave and bringing in supplies from across the country.

Russia's defence ministry said its troops had repelled multiple attacks by Ukrainian forces in at least eight different locations in the Kursk region.

The ministry reported intense battles in Kursk region with aviation, artillery, drones and ground forces, including reserves, against Ukraine's 22nd, 61st and 115th mechanised brigades. Ukraine has lost 32 tanks in the area, it said.

Russia has imposed tight security in the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions while its ally Belarus said it was bolstering its troop numbers at its border after Minsk said Ukraine had violated its airspace with drones.

Russian officials say Ukraine's attacks on Russian sovereign territory are aimed at showing its Western supporters that Kyiv can still muster major military operations while trying to gain a bargaining chip ahead of possible ceasefire talks.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and now controls 18% of Ukrainian territory. Russian forces, which have a vast numerical supremacy, have been advancing this year along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front after the failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive to make any major gains.

Kyiv broke its silence on the attacks on Saturday when President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had launched an incursion into Russian territory to "restore justice" and pressure Moscow's forces.

At the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in a part of Ukraine controlled by Russian forces, a major fire broke out.--Reuters

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