Russia Pulls Some Troops From Ukraine to Defend Home

Ukraine's surprise attack on Russian soil has done more than boost morale. Russia has withdrawn forces from Ukraine to respond to what's described as the biggest invasion of the country since World War II, checking off one Ukrainian objective, US officials tell the Wall Street Journal. The exact number of forces being moved to the Kursk region in southern Russia is unclear. A Ukrainian official says a "relatively small" number of units have been relocated from Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, though that could be a "smokescreen," per Politico. Some Ukrainian soldiers described greater resistance in the Kursk region on Tuesday. But Ukraine is reportedly sending reinforcements, too.

Ukrainian forces have already advanced at least 20 miles into Russian territory since the surprise attack last week, per the Journal. Ukrainian forces have reportedly taken 74 Russian communities in a 400-square-mile area. Nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated, per Politico. But Ukraine doesn't intend to occupy Russian territory, at least not for long. "The purpose of the operation is to save the lives of our people and protect the territory of Ukraine from Russian attacks," says a foreign ministry rep. In addition to forcing Russia to pull troops out of Ukraine, Kyiv aimed to disrupt Russian logistics and infrastructure in Kursk, from which aerial and artillery strikes on Ukraine have been launched, per the Journal.

"We have proven once again that we, Ukrainians, are capable of achieving our goals in any situation—capable of defending our interests and our independence," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address Tuesday. Emergencies have been declared in both Kursk and the neighboring border region of Belgorod, which has been hit by dozens of Ukrainian drone attacks, per the BBC. There are fears that Kyiv's position in eastern Ukraine will be weakened in moving troops away from the main front line, as Russia has continued its offensive on Pokrovsk and the Donetsk region. But morale among Ukrainian troops, seen tearing down Russian flags, is certainly up. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)