Ukrainian military equipment moved near Russian border

The Kremlin scrambled to evacuate residents from a border town Saturday, as Ukrainian troops quickly advanced toward a nuclear plant, four days after gaining a foothold in Russia’s southwestern Kursk region.

Mayor Igor Korpunkov of Kurchatov said Ukrainian forces had crossed the border into Russia last week with their sights set on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

“The situation is tense, a state of emergency is in effect,” said Korpunkov. “However, all services and enterprises, including the city administration, are operating normally. I am personally in the city, at my workplace, monitoring the situation.”

There were reports of sporadic power outages throughout the region since Monday.

Ukrainian soldiers continued tomove further into Russia, reaching at least six miles into Russian territory, the deepest advance since Moscow invaded the neighboring nation in February 2022.

As it moved to tighten security, Russia designated three regions — Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk — as sites for “counter-terrorism” operations, aimed at halting Ukrainian troops from gaining any more ground.