Russia’s Putin accuses Ukraine of provocation amid border fighting

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Ukraine of a serious provocation following reports of a Ukrainian offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk.

At a government meeting broadcast on Telegram, Putin said rockets had been fired at civilian targets and residential buildings.

Putin said he would receive further reports on the military situation at a meeting with the Defence Ministry, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the domestic intelligence service (FSB), which is responsible for border protection.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry confirmed fighting is ongoing in the Kursk region, one day after it claimed to have repelled a Ukrainian offensive.

In response, the Investigative Committee in Moscow, Russia’s top prosecuting authority, has opened criminal proceedings for what it described as a terrorist attack on Russian territory.