President Putin arrived in Kursk demanding an early victory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the task of defeating the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region in the shortest possible time.
According to TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command center in the Kursk border region on March 12 to receive a briefing on the military situation.
Speaking at the meeting, President Putin emphasized: "Our task is to defeat the enemy—those who have dug tunnels in the Kursk region and are conducting military operations there—in the shortest possible time."
President Putin expressed confidence that "all combat tasks facing the units will certainly be completed." At the same time, he suggested considering the establishment of a security zone along the national border.
According to President Putin, those who oppose Russia in the Kursk region are considered terrorists; those captured as prisoners of war in the Kursk region must be treated as terrorists. Meanwhile, foreign mercenaries are not covered by the Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. However, Putin proposed that all detainees be treated humanely.
Reporting to the Russian President, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov, stated that the Russian Armed Forces have liberated more than 1,100 km.2territory in the Kursk border region. To date, the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk border region exceed 67,000 people.
Over the past five days, the Russian army has liberated 24 settlements and 259 km of road.2in the liberated areas. At the same time, in some areas, troops from the Kursk border region crossed the national border and advanced into the Sumy region of Ukraine.
The strategic town of Sudzha has come under Russian control. On March 12, the Russian flag was raised in Sudzha's central square. The city serves as a major logistics hub for Kyiv to supply its units in all the nearby villages and towns.
