The Russian authorities today claimed to have shot down 945 Ukrainian soldiers at the hands of Russian forces as part of the offensive launched this week by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Kursk province in the west of the country.
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, the Ukrainian army lost 280 soldiers and 27 armored vehicles, which puts the total number of dead at almost a thousand and the number of destroyed vehicles at over a hundred, including 12 battle tanks.
However, the Ukrainian operation continues in Kursk, where Russian troops continue to try to thwart the advances of the Ukrainian Army, which has managed to enter some 35 kilometers into Russian territory.
The governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov, warned that the situation remains complicated in the area and ordered the evacuation of the Sudzhanski district due to the possibility of Ukrainian air strikes leaving civilian casualties.
Earlier today, Smirnov announced that Russian forces had managed to shoot down seven Ukrainian missiles "thanks to the fighters of our Air Force and those defending the border", according to Russian news agency TASS.
"You shouldn't go near the rubble or touch it, as it could cause damage. Just notify the emergency services," he said in a message to the population.
