04:00Mandatory Credit: Ukrainian President's Press Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his country's incursion into Russian territory as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', after his top general claimed they controlled approximately 1,000 square kilometres of Russia’s Kursk region, in an address on Monday.
"I held a meeting this day, and Chief of Staff Syrsky reported on the frontline and all key defence areas. And also about the operation in the Kursk region. General Syrsky reported that about a thousand square kilometres in the Kursk region are under control. These are, in particular, the areas from which the Russian army struck our Sumy region. As of today and since June 1, there have been almost 2,100 attacks in Sumy region. That is why our operations are a purely security issue for Ukraine - liberation of the border from the Russian military."
According to media reports, Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk region last Tuesday. The following day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances."Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, Putin also held a meeting with his regional governors. Kursk acting head Aleksei Smirnov said the situation 'remains difficult' and added that 12 people had been killed and 121 injured, including 10 children, as a result of the attacks - and over 120,000 evacuated.
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
'Operations purely security issue for Ukraine'- Zelensky as Kiev claims control over 1,000 sq kms of Russia’s Kursk region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his country's incursion into Russian territory as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', after his top general claimed they controlled approximately 1,000 square kilometres of Russia’s Kursk region, in an address on Monday.
"I held a meeting this day, and Chief of Staff Syrsky reported on the frontline and all key defence areas. And also about the operation in the Kursk region. General Syrsky reported that about a thousand square kilometres in the Kursk region are under control. These are, in particular, the areas from which the Russian army struck our Sumy region. As of today and since June 1, there have been almost 2,100 attacks in Sumy region. That is why our operations are a purely security issue for Ukraine - liberation of the border from the Russian military."
According to media reports, Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk region last Tuesday. The following day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances."Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, Putin also held a meeting with his regional governors. Kursk acting head Aleksei Smirnov said the situation 'remains difficult' and added that 12 people had been killed and 121 injured, including 10 children, as a result of the attacks - and over 120,000 evacuated.
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Mandatory Credit: Ukrainian President's Press Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his country's incursion into Russian territory as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', after his top general claimed they controlled approximately 1,000 square kilometres of Russia’s Kursk region, in an address on Monday.
"I held a meeting this day, and Chief of Staff Syrsky reported on the frontline and all key defence areas. And also about the operation in the Kursk region. General Syrsky reported that about a thousand square kilometres in the Kursk region are under control. These are, in particular, the areas from which the Russian army struck our Sumy region. As of today and since June 1, there have been almost 2,100 attacks in Sumy region. That is why our operations are a purely security issue for Ukraine - liberation of the border from the Russian military."
According to media reports, Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk region last Tuesday. The following day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances."Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, Putin also held a meeting with his regional governors. Kursk acting head Aleksei Smirnov said the situation 'remains difficult' and added that 12 people had been killed and 121 injured, including 10 children, as a result of the attacks - and over 120,000 evacuated.
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.