MOSCOW, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian forces have repelled Ukrainian attempts to advance deeper into the Kursk region, the Russian defense ministry said on Thursday.
"Over the past 24 hours, border defense units along with border guards, reinforcement units and recently arrived reserve forces have prevented the enemy from advancing with the use of air and missile strikes and artillery fire," said the ministry.
It noted that "attempts of separate units to penetrate deeper into the Kursk direction were foiled," and air strikes were carried out against approaching Ukrainian reserve forces on the territory of the Sumy region.
"Units of the Sever Group of Forces along with units of the Russian Federal security forces are continuing to eliminate the armed formations of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Sudzha and Korenevo districts in the Kursk region," according to the defense ministry.
Since the beginning of Kiev's large-scale incursion into the Kursk region, Ukrainian losses have amounted to 660 soldiers, and 82 units of armored equipment, it said.
Acting deputy governor of the Kursk region Andrei Belostotsky said on Thursday that Russian forces have halted Ukrainian advances.
"Since this morning, our aerospace forces and our armed forces have been actively working. The enemy has not advanced a single meter and ... is retreating," he said, adding that "the enemy's equipment and combat forces are being actively destroyed."
In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the acting governor of the Kursk Region Alexei Smirnov said that all people are actively being evacuated from the region and receiving necessary assistance.
According to preliminary information, 5 people have died following the attacks, and a total of 34 people have been injured, including 5 children.
Ukraine launched a massive attack on the defense positions in Russia's Kursk region at 08:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT). Up to 300 soldiers from Ukraine's 22nd Mechanized Brigade, supported by 11 tanks and over 20 armored combat vehicles, attacked the Russian border defense positions near the settlements of Nikolaevo-Daryino and Oleshnya, according to the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday. ■