ISTANBUL

The Pentagon said the Ukrainian military’s attacks on Kursk, Russia have not escalated tensions in the region, saying instead that curbing tensions is the responsibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Asked by a reporter whether she is concerned that Russia will escalate tensions over the attacks, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said late Thursday, “No, because at the end of the day, Ukraine is fighting for its sovereign territory that its neighbor invaded,” referring to the Ukraine war, which Moscow launched in February 2022.

“So, if we want to de-escalate tensions, as we've said from the beginning, the best way to do that is Putin can make that decision today to withdraw troops from Ukraine,” Singh told reporters.

Underlining that the US will keep providing Ukraine with the resources and systems they require, Singh said: “We don't feel like this is escalatory in any way.”

Singh reiterated that the US does not support long-range attacks into Russia, adding: “These are more for crossfire. I'm not going to put a specific range on it. As you know, they (Ukrainians) are aware of the US policy and what we are supportive of.”

Russia on Friday declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region, where clashes with Ukrainian troops have raged for four days.

Overnight Monday to Tuesday, Ukraine intensified shelling of the region. The artillery barrage was followed by an incursion of Ukrainian infantry, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, near the city of Sudzha.

The Russian Defense Ministry initially reported on Tuesday that 300 Ukrainian troops, 11 tanks, and 20 armored vehicles had crossed the Russian border. But on Wednesday, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that around 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen were involved in the battle.

Local Kursk authorities reported that five civilians, including a paramedic, an ambulance driver, and a 24-year-old pregnant woman, were killed, and 66 others, including six children, were injured in Ukrainian attacks. A major evacuation of several thousand people has been ordered from the combat zone.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz