SUMMARY
Russian forces counterattacked Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region after Ukraine's largest incursion into Russian territory since the war began. Ukrainian forces seized several settlements, prompting Moscow to evacuate nearly 200,000 people and rush in reinforcements. The Russian defense ministry reported the destruction of 35 Ukrainian tanks, 31 armored personnel carriers, and 18 infantry fighting vehicles during the week-long battle. Control of the town of Sudzha, a key gas transit point, remained unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the incursion as an attempt to improve Kyiv's negotiating position and vowed to push Ukrainian forces out. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy framed the operation as essential for national security.
