Hello and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service coming to you live

from London I'm James Kimara Sami. A slow but steady advance or a forceful pushback. Those remain the contrasting

official versions from Russia, from Ukraine and Russia respectively, about

what's happening inside the Russian region of Kursk. It's now 11 days since elite Ukrainian ground troops, unexpectedly

and indisputably forced their way through a border post and onto Russian soil.

It is the most sustained attempt to try to turn the tables on Moscow since it began its full-scale

invasion of its neighbour two and a half years ago.

Uri Sack is an advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Strategic Industries.

He told the BBC why Ukraine had sent its troops into

that part of southern Russia.

Cursed Kriegen was used by Russian forces to carry out over 2,000 attacks on the Ukrainian territory,

that includes glide bombs, that includes shahads, that includes missiles,

artillery, multiple launch rocket systems. Indeed, in fact, from Kursk region alone,

almost 250 glide bombs were launched at Sumi region and other adjacent regions

to the Russian border.

It has been quite a challenge to find out what's been going on inside Kursk over the past week and a half.

Security concerns linked to what Russia calls its counter-terrorism operation in the region have made it difficult

to speak to people who are living there.

But one resident who we are calling Jeunya has recorded her thoughts and impressions for the

BBC's Ukrainecast program.

This is how she described life in her city over the past few days.

It has been very, very extremely anxious for this past week and Kursk. Very frightening for everyone.

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