MOSCOW/KYIV (Dispatches) - Russia has declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region due to the tense situation there, Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies said on Friday.
“On August 9, an extraordinary meeting of the government commission for the prevention and elimination of emergencies and ensuring fire safety took place. On the agenda of the discussion was the situation in the territory of the Kursk Region due to the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces. A response at the federal level has been established in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s defense ministry said on Friday that a military operation to defeat the Ukrainian forces in Kursk is ongoing, with the Ukrainian side suffering a loss of 945 troops and 102 military vehicles since their incursion into the region.
Russia’s Lipetsk municipal district earlier declared a state of emergency on Friday following the detonation of explosive objects in the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack.
Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov announced the evacuation of four local communities via his Telegram channel to ensure public safety.
“To eliminate the consequences of the detonation of explosive objects, a state of emergency is being introduced on the territory of the Lipetsk municipal district. To ensure the safety of residents, it was decided to evacuate the settlements: Koptsevy Khutor, Fedorovka, Yakovlevka, Tynkovka,” Artamonov said.
The recent drone attack on Lipetsk, a city situated approximately 370 km south of Moscow, triggered significant explosions off civilian structures.
The debris from the Ukrainian drone attack has caused damage to an energy infrastructure facility, resulting in power supply disruptions in the region.
Artamonov called on the residents to observe the instructions from emergency services personnel during the evacuation process. “Temporary accommodation and transport arrangements are being made to assist those affected,” he said. 
On Thursday, the Russian defense ministry said its forces have repelled Ukrainian attempts to advance deeper into the Kursk region.
“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.
Since the beginning of Kyiv’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.
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.
Ukraine launched a massive attack on the defense positions in Russia’s Kursk region at 8 am 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.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces shot down all 27 combat drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on the country, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday.
Furthermore, Ukraine obtained 25 billion euros (about $27.2 billion) in macro-financial assistance from the European Union in 2022-2023.
 Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile strike hit a supermarket in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka in the front-line Donetsk region on Friday, killing at least ten people and injuring 35 others.
The strike caused a fire that had been put out, the interior minister said. Heavy black smoke clouds rising from the destroyed building could be seen in the images and videos posted by officials.
Emergency services continued working out the rubble looking for survivors, he added.
Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin initially said Russia used artillery but later said the attack with from an X-38 air-to-surface missile.
Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest private postal company, said its cargo office in the supermarket was damaged in the strike.