Russian MP warns of World War 3 from attack on Ukraine's Kursk province

Following increasing attacks along the border between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Federal Assembly member Mikhail Sheremet warned that the Western-backed Ukrainian incursion campaign has brought the world closer to global war.

RIA news agency on August 16 quoted Mr. Sheremet as saying that the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western ammunition and missiles by Ukraine in attacks on civilian infrastructure is undeniable evidence of the participation of foreigners in the campaign to attack the territory of the Russian Federation.

From there, according to Mr. Sheremet, a member of the House of Representatives representing Crimea and a member of the Defense Committee of the Russian Duma, "one can come to the conclusion that the world is on the brink of a third world war."

India's Hindustan Times newspaper said on August 16 that Mr. Sheremet's comments reflected growing concerns in Moscow that the conflict (with Ukraine) is no longer a regional issue but could escalate into a global disaster, given that Kiev is being supported by Western countries led by the US.

The seriousness of the situation was reiterated by Nikolai Patrushev, a close aide to President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.

In that interview, Mr. Patrushev also accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Western intelligence agencies of staging the Ukrainian invasion (into the Kursk region of the Russian Federation).

On August 6, Ukraine mobilized its army to attack the Russian Federation's Kursk border province in Kiev's largest cross-border operation since Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

To date, Ukrainian forces claim to have taken control of more than 1,150 square kilometers and 82 settlements, including the strategic town of Sudzha in Kursk province.

The offensive marked a significant shift in the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, breaking months of defeats by the Ukrainian military and demonstrating Kiev's ability to strike deep into Russian territory.

In response to this new development, Moscow has had to strengthen its defenses, especially in neighboring Belgorod province by declaring a federal state of emergency there and the Russian Defense Ministry also established a coordination council to protect security in three border provinces with Ukraine: Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

The sudden escalation of fighting between Russia and Ukraine has led to widespread displacement, with more than 120,000 Russians forced to flee border areas.