Ukrainian attack edges into Russian city, site of pipeline, railroad

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian troops continued their cross-border raid into Russia on Friday and edged into a city with an oil pipeline and railroad, raising concerns about how President Vladimir Putin will respond, according to U.S. officials.

The Ukrainian attack appears to have taken Russian forces by surprise, according to one official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Ukrainians have taken several Russian troops as prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian move into Sudzha, an administrative center northeast of Kyiv, will be monitored for Russia’s response, the official said. The Ukrainian goal appears to be disrupting Russian supply lines, the official said, and appears to be succeeding.

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On Thursday, Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, told reporters that Ukraine was within its right of self-defense in making the cross-border incursion. The move, she said, was not unduly provocative.

“They are taking actions to protect themselves from attacks that are coming from a region that are within the U.S. policy of where they can operate our weapons, our systems, our capabilities,” Singh said.

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At the White House Friday, John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesperson, said it wasn’t clear what Ukraine was seeking to achieve.

"We're in touch with our Ukrainian counterparts, and we are working to gain a better understanding of what they're doing, what their goals are, what their strategy is, and I'm going to leave a little bit of space for us to have those conversations before I try to characterize what's going on," Kirby told reporters.

Also Friday, the Pentagon announced a $125 million military aid package for Ukraine. It includes air defense weapons to counter Russian drone attacks, artillery and small arms ammunition.

The United States has provided Ukraine more than $55 billion in military aid since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion in Feb. 2022.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine offensive in Russia enters city with pipeline