A Russian governor urges people to give blood as hazy reports of a Ukrainian incursion emerge

The head of Russia’s Kursk border region has called on local residents to donate blood due to reports of a possible incursion by combatants from Ukraine. Alexei Smirnov, Kursk’s acting governor, stated on Telegram that blood banks were being stocked up in preparation for the fighting.

He claimed that the region had heroically resisted attacks by Ukrainian fighters over the last 24 hours and reassured that all emergency services were on high alert. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that up to 300 Ukrainian troops, supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, had crossed into Russia and suffered heavy losses. However, there was no independent evidence to verify these claims and Kyiv officials declined to comment. Previous incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions have been attributed to two groups: the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion. Disinformation and propaganda have played a significant role in the ongoing war, now in its third year. Some Russian war bloggers suggested that Ukrainian soldiers were present in Kursk.

The Rybar Telegram channel, run by Mikhail Zvinchuk, a retired Russian Defense Ministry press officer, reported that Ukrainian troops had seized three settlements in the region and were advancing further. Another pro-Kremlin military blog, Two Majors, claimed that Ukrainian troops had advanced up to 15 kilometers (10 miles) into the region.

However, neither of these claims could be independently verified. While Russian forces have previously repelled cross-border incursions, the Kursk region’s 245-kilometer (150-mile) border with Ukraine provides an opportunity for saboteur groups to launch swift incursions and capture ground before Russia deploys reinforcements.