Late Saturday night, the Russian city of Kursk was rocked by a series of explosions as air defense systems repelled what local authorities described as a missile attack. Acting governor of Kursk Oblast Alexei Smirnov initially warned residents of the missile threat and the activation of air defense systems. According to Russian state news agency TASS, about 10 explosions were heard over Kursk as air defenses were activated.
Smirnov later reported at 00:19 local time that a missile intercepted by Russian air defenses hit a residential building in Kursk and caused a fire. He later added that two people were seriously injured.
This event comes against the backdrop of the Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine has reportedly seized hundreds of square kilometers of land. “The situation,” as Russian authorities describe the event, has led to increased security measures in several Russian regions bordering Ukraine. On August 10, authorities in Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod Oblasts introduced an anti-terrorism program following the declaration of a state of emergency in Kursk Oblast.
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