The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today, Thursday, the continuation of battles in the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, where it has witnessed a sudden attempt by Ukrainian forces to penetrate Russian territory since Tuesday. The Ministry said in a statement that its forces continue to destroy Ukrainian army organizations and thwart Ukrainian attempts to penetrate deep into Kursk. Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov said via his Telegram channel that a state of emergency has been declared in the region following the advance of Ukrainian forces, in a move to strengthen the protection of the local nuclear power plant, adding that forces in Kursk continue to face a difficult operational situation in the border areas, following Kiev's launch of a surprise ground attack across the border with the participation of soldiers and armored vehicles, which forced the evacuation of the first group of residents to the neighboring Oryol region. Meanwhile, the Russian Health Ministry said that more than 30 peopl e were injured in Ukrainian shelling in Kursk, with at least 19 people taken to hospitals, while the Russian National Guard strengthened protection measures around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. The Guard said in a statement that "as part of efforts to ensure the security of the vital facility, our units have taken additional security measures at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant," adding that additional forces have been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance operations in the Kursk and Oryol regions and Belgorod. Source : National Iraqi News Agency