Ukraine-Russia latest: Putin orders evacuation of 76,000 people in Kursk as Zelensky’s invasion deepens

Russia has evacuated over 76,000 people in the Kursk region after declaring a state of emergency amid fierce fighting in its borders with Ukraine .

Vladimir Putin has been forced to call in reserve troops as a federal level emergency was declared in Russia over the Ukrainian incursion across the border into Kursk.

With the incursion entering its fifth day, Moscow is dealing with a among Russia’s forces, Volodymyr Zelensky praised his army’s ability “to surprise” and “achieve results” while not directly mentioning the raid by name.

Around 1,000 Ukrainian troops in tanks and armoured vehicles broke through the Russian border and into the Kursk region in the early hours of Tuesday, with US-based analysts suggesting they had penetrated more than six miles into Russia, breaking through two defensive lines and a stronghold.

Overnight, Ukraine claimed to have hit a Russian military airfield in the Lipetsk region – more than 100 miles into Russia – causing a large fire and damaging guided bomb stockpiles at an airfield housing Su-34, Su-35 and MiG-31 warplanes.