Zelensky confirms that Ukrainian soldiers are fighting inside Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted for the first time that his army is conducting an offensive inside the western Russian region of Kursk.

He said through a video on Saturday that the Ukrainian army is sending the war to the "territory of the aggressor".

Kiev launched a surprise attack on Tuesday and quickly advanced more than 10 kilometers into Russia - marking the deepest incursion since Moscow launched the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

In Ukraine, Kiev and several other regions faced Russian missile attacks, as well as drone strikes, in the early hours of Sunday, local officials said.

According to them, a 35-year-old man and his four-year-old son were killed in the Kiev region, as a result of rocket attacks.

It was also reported that a 13-year-old boy was injured in that region.

Zelensky thanked the "fighters" of Ukraine on Saturday, and said that he discussed the operation in Russia with the commander of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"Ukraine is proving that it can restore justice and guarantee pressure on the aggressor", he said.

So far, Russia has failed to impede the Ukrainian advance.

More than 76,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region and authorities have begun implementing counter-terrorism measures in that area and other border regions.

This means that authorities in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk can restrict the movement of people and cars, and can conduct wiretapping.

The Ukrainian incursion into Russia, launched on Tuesday, has been carried out with nearly 1,000 soldiers, tanks and armed equipment, Russia has said.

Since then, the Ukrainians have been reported to have gained control of several villages, and are threatening to take over the Russian regional town of Sudzha./REL