Zelensky accepts Ukraine's military operation in Russia for the first time: We can establish justice!

President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian military is conducting a cross-border offensive inside Russia's western Kursk region.

President Zelensky confirmed in his speech last night that the Ukrainian army is now advancing the war in the "territory of the aggressor".

He went on to thank Ukraine's "warriors" and said he had discussed the ongoing operation in Russia with the country's top military commander - Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"Ukraine is proving that it can really restore justice and provide the necessary pressure on the aggressor," added Zelensky.

He did not mention by name Russia's western Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have reportedly captured several villages and are also threatening to take a regional city.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, has reacted by saying that its army will give a "severe response" to the incursion.

On Tuesday, Kiev launched a surprise attack and advanced more than 10 km (six miles) inside Russia. Russia says 76,000 people have been evacuated from border areas in the Kursk region.

This is the deepest foray into the country since Moscow began its full occupation of Ukraine in February 2022.