KYIV, Aug 8 - Ukrainian forces are pushing further into the Kursk region of Russia, in a cross-border incursion that surprised even American officials, multiple US and Ukrainian officials tell CNN.

Ukrainian forces are comprised of a mix of Ukrainian regular and special operations units, unlike previous Ukrainian operations inside Russia that often involved undercover units and local sympathizers.

The intention, say US and Ukrainian officials, is multifaceted, in part to disrupt and demoralize Russian forces and in part to divert Russian forces away from other parts of the eastern front. US officials do not believe Ukraine intends to hold Russian territory for the long-term.

Russia claimed on Thursday to have halted a Ukrainian incursion into its territory, but later said that some battles are ongoing in the Kursk region. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, units of the “North” group of its forces, together with the Russian Federal Security Service, the FSB, “continue to destroy Ukrainian armed forces formations in the Sudzhensky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, which are directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border.” CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

Kursk residents, who live in the Sudzhansky District, recorded a video address to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday asking for his help, saying he has been misinformed about the situation on the ground and the Russian Defense Ministry’s statements about things being under control are untrue.

The address was published on a local Telegram channel that is dedicated to covering the latest news out of the town of Sudzha in Kursk region, which has been under Ukrainian attack for several days.

“These lies enable the local residents to die. The Chief of the General staff recently told you that the situation is under control, but today huge furious battles are underway in the Sudzhansky and Korenevsky districts,” one of the residents said.

“Sudzha was attacked, turned into ruins in a matter of hours. Local administration wasn’t working,” another resident said.

People in the region have complained that there was no organized evacuation, that the Ukrainian incursion caught them by surprise, and that they left their homes without belongings and documents in the middle of the night. They cannot contact relatives left behind, they said, because the mobile network is not working in the area.

“We escaped under shelling. We were running surrounded by ruins,” one resident said.

“We are left alone with children without a place to go, without a compensation, without any money. We escaped with only clothes on our backs,” one woman said bursting into tears.

Mick Ryan, author of the Futura Doctrina blog and an analyst of the war in Ukraine, said Thursday that the Ukrainian military had deployed “quality formations. It appears that unlike in the 2023 southern counteroffensive where fresh brigades were employed, the Ukrainians have allocated experienced formations to this attack. This already appears to be paying dividends with the depth of the Ukrainian penetration so far.”

The US-based conflict monitoring group the Institute for the Study of War said in its assessment on Thursday that “Ukrainian forces have made confirmed advances up to 10 kilometers” into the Kursk region on Wednesday.

Kyiv remains silent on incursion claims

Ukraine’s allies have not commented on the situation beyond saying the country has the right to defend itself. The EU’s foreign affairs and security policy spokesperson Peter Stano told the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne News that according to the international law, Kyiv “has the legal right to defend itself, including striking an aggressor on its territory.”

The White House was taken by surprise by the developments on Wednesday, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters that it was not told ahead of time, adding that the Biden administration was “going to reach out to the Ukrainian military to learn more about their objectives.”

Jean-Pierre said the US was “supportive of Ukraine as they are defending themselves against Russia’s aggression.”

“And so, we’re going to continue to do that. And they are going to take actions … to certainly to protect themselves from these attacks,” she added. (cnn/ez)