٠٠:٠٥:٥٤Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the armed forces had encircled the Ukrainian military in the Russia-Ukraine border region of Kursk and continued to tighten the encirclement, during an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin in Moscow on Friday.
"About two weeks ago, the 155th Navy Infantry brigade of the Pacific Fleet broke through the enemy's defences around 10 kilometres from our state border. <...> Other units of the Russian armed forces were deployed to reinforce this success," Putin added. "Jointly, they have solidly encircled the area and are now closing in the ring. We have begun to eliminate this group"
The Russian leader went on to claim that panic among Ukrainian servicemen was growing as their commanders ordered to shoot those who attempted to surrender.
AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky called Putin's statement that the Ukrainian military was encircled in the Kursk region 'blatant disinformation that fails to reflect the true reality'.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. 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."
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9. Meanwhile, more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Putin also estimated the possibility of gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 2 route.
"As we know, as a result of the terrorist attack, Nord Stream 1 and one branch of Nord Stream 2 were destroyed, but one was preserved, and it is in operation. And it is truly up to the German government whether to activate this route or not. We are ready to supply via this route," he added. The president also said that Russia continued to supply gas to Europe, though the current agreement would expire in December.
The explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea took place in September 2022. In February, an article by US journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that explosives were planted at the pipelines by US Navy divers on President Joe Biden’s orders. The White House later dismissed those claims as 'utterly false and total fiction'.
The following month, the New York Times published a report claiming that US officials had intelligence suggesting a 'pro-Ukrainian group' was behind the explosions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Kiev had no connection to the incident and said the allegations against his country were only beneficial to those wanting to slow down assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled the explosions as a 'terrorist attack', which 'can only be carried out by state-backed specialists'.
Russian military 'solidly encircled area' in Kursk region and 'are closing in' - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the armed forces had encircled the Ukrainian military in the Russia-Ukraine border region of Kursk and continued to tighten the encirclement, during an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin in Moscow on Friday.
"About two weeks ago, the 155th Navy Infantry brigade of the Pacific Fleet broke through the enemy's defences around 10 kilometres from our state border. <...> Other units of the Russian armed forces were deployed to reinforce this success," Putin added. "Jointly, they have solidly encircled the area and are now closing in the ring. We have begun to eliminate this group"
The Russian leader went on to claim that panic among Ukrainian servicemen was growing as their commanders ordered to shoot those who attempted to surrender.
AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky called Putin's statement that the Ukrainian military was encircled in the Kursk region 'blatant disinformation that fails to reflect the true reality'.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. 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."
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9. Meanwhile, more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Putin also estimated the possibility of gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 2 route.
"As we know, as a result of the terrorist attack, Nord Stream 1 and one branch of Nord Stream 2 were destroyed, but one was preserved, and it is in operation. And it is truly up to the German government whether to activate this route or not. We are ready to supply via this route," he added. The president also said that Russia continued to supply gas to Europe, though the current agreement would expire in December.
The explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea took place in September 2022. In February, an article by US journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that explosives were planted at the pipelines by US Navy divers on President Joe Biden’s orders. The White House later dismissed those claims as 'utterly false and total fiction'.
The following month, the New York Times published a report claiming that US officials had intelligence suggesting a 'pro-Ukrainian group' was behind the explosions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Kiev had no connection to the incident and said the allegations against his country were only beneficial to those wanting to slow down assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled the explosions as a 'terrorist attack', which 'can only be carried out by state-backed specialists'.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the armed forces had encircled the Ukrainian military in the Russia-Ukraine border region of Kursk and continued to tighten the encirclement, during an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin in Moscow on Friday.
"About two weeks ago, the 155th Navy Infantry brigade of the Pacific Fleet broke through the enemy's defences around 10 kilometres from our state border. <...> Other units of the Russian armed forces were deployed to reinforce this success," Putin added. "Jointly, they have solidly encircled the area and are now closing in the ring. We have begun to eliminate this group"
The Russian leader went on to claim that panic among Ukrainian servicemen was growing as their commanders ordered to shoot those who attempted to surrender.
AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky called Putin's statement that the Ukrainian military was encircled in the Kursk region 'blatant disinformation that fails to reflect the true reality'.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. 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."
A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9. Meanwhile, more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Putin also estimated the possibility of gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 2 route.
"As we know, as a result of the terrorist attack, Nord Stream 1 and one branch of Nord Stream 2 were destroyed, but one was preserved, and it is in operation. And it is truly up to the German government whether to activate this route or not. We are ready to supply via this route," he added. The president also said that Russia continued to supply gas to Europe, though the current agreement would expire in December.
The explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea took place in September 2022. In February, an article by US journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that explosives were planted at the pipelines by US Navy divers on President Joe Biden’s orders. The White House later dismissed those claims as 'utterly false and total fiction'.
The following month, the New York Times published a report claiming that US officials had intelligence suggesting a 'pro-Ukrainian group' was behind the explosions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Kiev had no connection to the incident and said the allegations against his country were only beneficial to those wanting to slow down assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled the explosions as a 'terrorist attack', which 'can only be carried out by state-backed specialists'.