Ukraine updates: Kursk governor calls for quicker evacuation

Russia declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region on Wednesday after Ukrainian troops staged an attack

The acting governor of Russia's Kursk oblast called for civilians to be moved from unsafe areas more quickly amid a surprise Ukrainian incursion. Meanwhile, explosions were heard overnight in Kyiv. DW has more.

The acting governor of Kursk oblast, Alexei Smirnov, said on Telegram on Saturday night that he had told local authorities to accelerate efforts to move civilians from areas at risk of fighting with Ukrainian troops.

Russian media quoted the regional Emergencies Ministry in the border region of Kursk as saying that more than 76,000 people have been relocated to safer areas in recent days since the surprise Ukrainian incursion.

Ukrainian forces opened up a new front in Russian oblast bordering northeastern Ukraine in recent days, seemingly vying for a foothold, or at least a disruptive presence, in Russian territory. Kursk has since declared a state of emergency.

Elsewhere, Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned online of an air raid alert overnight in the capital and said air defenses were in operation. It wasn't immediately clear if any damage was caused.

Here is the latest on Russia's invasion of Ukraine from Sunday, August 11:

Kursk incursion aims to 'destabilize' Russia: Kyiv official

A senior Ukrainian security official has told the AFP news agency that a military incursion by Kyiv's forces into Russia's Kursk region aims to undermine Moscow's morale.

"We are on the offensive," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilize the situation in Russia, as they are unable to protect their own border."

He said the number of Ukrainian troops deployed for the operation was higher than the 1,000 estimated by the Russian army, putting the number at "thousands."

The official also said that, in contrast to the alleged actions of Russian troops in Ukraine, the Ukrainian forces would "strictly observe humanitarian law."

"It is very important that Ukraine does not violate any convention. We strictly observe humanitarian law: We do not execute prisoners, we do not rape women, we do not loot," he said.

He added that the military action had greatly raised "the morale of the Ukrainian army, state and society," saying: "This operation has shown that we can go on the offensive, move forward."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the operation, which began on Tuesday, for the first time in his nightly address on Saturday, saying that Kyiv was "pushing the war into the aggressor's territory."

German finance minister defends planned US missile deployment

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has voiced his support for stationing long-range US missiles in Germany, saying that the deployment will be an important deterrent in the face of Russian aggression.

"Germany has been within range of Russia's nuclear-capable missiles for years. It is therefore of paramount importance to us that we establish a balance of deterrence," Lindner told the Funke media group in comments published on Sunday.

Berlin and Washington announced in July that long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 air-defense missiles would be deployed in Germany from 2026, drawing threats of a response in kind from Moscow.

The plan has met with criticism from several parties, including the Social Democrats (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who want the issue to be debated in parliament.

Lindner, whose business-friendly Free Democrats form part of Germany's three-way coalition government, also highlighted the importance of the US for Europe's defense in general no matter who is in the White House.

"I am not resigned to the fact that the trans-Atlantic partnership is weakening," he said. "Even with difficult dialogue partners, we will have to do everything we can to convince the US that engagement in Europe is in its own interests."

Lindner's remarks reflect fears in Europe that the US could reduce its defense support if Donald Trump — who has often complained that Europeans have been freeloading on US defense— wins November presidential elections.

Missile attacks kill father and son near Kyiv: Emergency service

An overnight Russian missile attack near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has killed a 35-year-old man and his 4-year-old son, Ukraine's emergency service has said.

The bodies of the two were found among rubble by rescue teams after fragments of a missile hit residential buildings in the district of Brovary next to Kyiv, a Telegram posting said.

Three other people, including a 13-year-old child, were seriously injured, the emergency service said.

The attack comes as fears rise in Ukraine that Moscow might retaliate with increased air raids for Kyiv's ongoing incursion into the Russian Kursk region.

Kursk regional governor Alexei Smirnov said 13 people had been injured in Kursk city, two of them seriously, when debris from a downed Ukrainian missile fell on a building during the night.

Kursk governor calls for accelerated evacuation

The acting governor of Kursk oblast in Russia, Alexei Smirnov, said on Saturday night that he had "instructed" the head of the Belovsky district of the region — in southwestern Kursk, near the border to the Sumy region of Ukraine — to "speed up" the implementation of orders to evacuate civilians.

Russian authorities have been scrambling to relocate people this week amid a surprise Ukrainian incursion into parts of Kursk. Russia's government has also been keen to describe the incursion as an escalation.

Although Ukrainian forces are not thought to control any of the territory, they appear to have established a disruptive presence that stretches quite far into the area, at least based on what analysts can observe via satellite.

Russian media, including the state-owned TASS news agency, on Saturday quoted the region's emergency situations ministry as saying that "more than 76,000 people" had been "temporarily relocated to safe places."

Russia also said on Friday that it was sending additional military equipment and personnel to the area over the weekend.

Air defense systems in Kyiv active overnight

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and military administration officials said early on Sunday that air defenses were operating in Ukraine's capital overnight.

"Air defense units operating, air raid alert continues," Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Witnesses in Kyiv said they heard explosions, though these sounds could have been air defense systems at work rather than hits.

It was not immediately clear if the attack had caused any damage or injuries.

The head of Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, said the capital was still threatened by Russian ballistic missiles.

Ukraine's air force said Kyiv, the surrounding region and all of eastern Ukraine were subject to air raid alerts.

msh/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters, DPA)