Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk say they hope incursion will ‘wake up’ Russians to realities of war
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A Ukrainian soldier holds up a Russian rifle taken from inside Russia.
“A trophy,” he says, smiling.
One of his colleagues, also grinning, produces a military uniform patch that reads “Armed Forces of Russia” and a 10 rouble note.
“Russian money,” he says.
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The pair are part of a small team of soldiers on a grey pickup truck on the Ukrainian side of a border crossing point into the Kursk region of Russia.
A third serviceman, who gives his name as Vasil, says the unit has been fighting in Russia since the beginning of the cross-border attack from Sumy region, in northeastern Ukraine, nine days ago.
He says the Russian soldiers they had encountered were just “running away”.
One of the Ukrainian soldiers we met said the Russians they had encountered were ‘running away’
Asked what his group is planning to do next, he says, speaking in English: “[I] think go further [in], yes.”
As for whether he is scared, he says: “No.”
It is the same reply when asked whether he thinks Vladimir Putin’s forces will succeed in pushing the Ukrainian attackers out.
“No,” he says.
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Speaking with the measured, matter-of-fact tone of an experienced soldier – he has been fighting Russia’s invasion of his country since 2014 – Vasil says being part of the force invading Russia is “nothing special… I’m doing my job”.
Without giving much away, he says his unit was involved in monitoring.
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But the soldier does share one thing he hopes will come of the incursion – showing Russian people the reality of war.
“Maybe they [the Russians] will understand that war is not this very interesting thing where you sit at home and watch TV – war is war.”
All still smiling, Vasil and his team climbed back into their pickup truck and drove across the border into Russia.
Our Sky News team walked as far as we could up to the border crossing point on the Ukrainian side.
The site was badly damaged – though this was more likely caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two-and-a-half years ago, when Russian forces charged through the same position, just in the opposite direction.
They were beaten back from Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region during a counter offensive in September 2022.
However, Russian positions on their side of the border had been shelling this area ever since – until Ukraine launched its surprise attack on 6 August.
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Ukrainian military deliver aid to Kursk region.
As we stood at the crossing, a number of military vehicles – each one marked with a white triangle, the symbol of the Kursk offensive – sped past into Russia.
But a unit of Ukrainian troops manning the border point appeared nervous.
They asked us not to stand together as we could draw the attention of Russian drones.
One soldier said an attack drone had exploded nearby earlier in the day.
Increasingly uncomfortable, they asked us to leave.
Driving back towards the regional capital of Sumy, a steady flow of Ukrainian military vehicles, including large transporters carrying tracked fighting vehicles, passed us in the other direction, heading towards Ukraine’s new frontline inside Russia.
A clear indicator that this offensive is being reinforced – and is definitely not in retreat.