Russia says foiled Ukrainian border incursions

MOSCOW

A Russian governor on Tuesday said Ukrainain forces had attempted border incursions into the southern Kursk region.

"Today we are getting information from the Sudzha and Korenevo districts about attempts by Ukrainian armed forces to break through into the Kursk region," acting governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on Telegram.

He said that border guards and Russian soldiers "had prevented the border from being breached."

Sudzha and Korenevo are close to Ukraine's Sumy region.

Armed combatants from Ukraine have made several brief incursions into Russia.

These have involved units of Russians fighting in support of Kiev - the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Russia has pushed back against these attacks but has sometimes needed to deploy artillery and aviation.

In May, Russian forces also pushed across the border into Ukraine's Kharkiv region, taking a significant amount of territory.

The Mash Telegram channel, seen as close to Russian security forces, wrote that an attack began in the early hours involving small groups of Ukrainian soldiers and fighters from the Russian Volunteer Corps.

Russia was striking the attackers with aviation and artillery, Mash wrote.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday that Russian troops have captured the village of Tymofiyivka in eastern Ukraine in the latest in a series of recent advances.

Russian units "have liberated the settlement of Timofeevka," it said on social media, using the Russian name for the village.