Russia: State of emergency declared as Ukraine launches raid into Russia
A state of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia, as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued for a second day. The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said the move was necessary "to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region". Thousands of people have also been evacuated from border areas, Mr Smirnov said earlier, adding that doctors were being drafted in from other cities. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching a "major provocation" after Moscow said hundreds of troops crossed the border near the town of Sudzha, 10km (six miles) from the border, on Tuesday morning. They were supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured combat vehicles, the Kremlin added. Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory have been extremely rare since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Follow link for full story...