President Putin: Ukraine has committed a large-scale provocation in the Kursk border region
Speaking at a meeting with government members, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had carried out a large-scale provocation in the Kursk region.
According to RT, during a meeting with the government on the afternoon of August 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine had carried out a large-scale provocation in the border area of the Kursk region, and was firing indiscriminately.
After the government meeting, President Putin met with the heads of law enforcement agencies, the Defense Ministry, the General Staff, the Federal Security Service, to hear reports on what is happening in the Kursk region.
The Russian Defense Ministry released footage of the destruction of military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area bordering Kursk. According to the Ministry, the attack on enemy troops and special equipment was carried out by the crew of the Iskander-M OTRK.
According to the Ministry, Ukraine lost up to 260 troops and 50 armored vehicles in 24 hours of fighting, including 7 tanks, 8 armored personnel carriers, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 31 armored fighting vehicles, including 12 Kozaks, 2 Strykers, and one engineering vehicle and 6 cars.
Reporting to President Putin, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that the operation against Ukrainian units trying to advance into the Kursk region will end with the enemy's defeat, and Russian forces are advancing to the border.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to condemn the Kiev authorities’ crimes against Russian civilians. “We call on the international community not to stand aside and strongly condemn such criminal actions,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
The United Nations said the Ukrainian armed forces’ offensive in Kursk increased the risk of escalation. “All these incidents raise the risk of the crisis escalating alarmingly, and we want the situation to de-escalate as much as possible,” said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.