The authorities in the Russian region Kursk have decided to evacuate residents from the Glushkov region, acting governor Alexei Smirnov said late yesterday, as Ukrainian forces continue to advance into the border region.

The region’s sector bordering Ukraine has a population of around 20,000. Smirnov said via Telegram that the police and other government bodies would coordinate the expedited removal process.

Ukraine announced yesterday that its forces are continuing to advance into Russian territory and that they have advanced one and two kilometers in depth in various directions in the Kursk region since the beginning of the day, and that their troops have completed clearing the Russian city of Shuja from the her powers of Russia.

According to Russian officials, nearly 200,000 people have been rushed out since the Ukrainian operation began on August 8.

Ukrainian forces have advanced 30 kilometers into the Russian territory of Kursk.

Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian attack, calling it a “big provocation”.

A week later, Ukraine’s top general claimed 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory was under Ukrainian control, although analysts said the actual scale was less.

Kursk and Belgorod announced that they are on high alert.

The current governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, said Ukrainian forces captured 28 communities, but Ukraine’s president put the number at 74.

The counteroffensive was seen as an attempt to force Russia to move its forces out of eastern Ukraine and thereby take some of the pressure off Ukrainian forces there. At the same time, the Ukrainian side aims to improve its chances of concluding peace on terms favorable to itself.