07:29President Vladimir Putin said the 'sanitary and non-recoverable losses' of Ukraine's army in the Kursk region 'amounted to 26,000' over the last month, during a press briefing following the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday.
"As for victory, last year, the losses, I believe, in attempts to carry out so-called counter-offensive operations totalled somewhere around 16,000 people - that's sanitary and non-recoverable. Now, only for the last month and in the Kursk direction, I think the sanitary and non-recoverable losses amounted to 26,000 now," he said.
Putin also claimed Kiev is 'not ready yet' for peace talks, adding that Ukraine must first 'lift martial law' and hold presidential elections before negotiations can take place.
"It would be better, certainly, to sit down at the negotiating table and hold these talks than to name such figures. But the leaders of the Kiev regime do not wish to negotiate, but I will also think that starting peace negotiations would require the lifting of martial law. And immediately after that it is necessary to hold presidential elections. Apparently, they're not ready yet. It's their move," he said.
Addressing tensions in the Middle East, the president emphasised that Russia is 'not interested in the conflict escalating' and noted that the country seeks to create 'conditions for the settlement of the situation'.
"Strategically, we will gain nothing from this, we will only see additional problems," Putin added.
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.
Ukraine's losses in Kursk region last month amounted to 26,000 - Putin
President Vladimir Putin said the 'sanitary and non-recoverable losses' of Ukraine's army in the Kursk region 'amounted to 26,000' over the last month, during a press briefing following the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday.
"As for victory, last year, the losses, I believe, in attempts to carry out so-called counter-offensive operations totalled somewhere around 16,000 people - that's sanitary and non-recoverable. Now, only for the last month and in the Kursk direction, I think the sanitary and non-recoverable losses amounted to 26,000 now," he said.
Putin also claimed Kiev is 'not ready yet' for peace talks, adding that Ukraine must first 'lift martial law' and hold presidential elections before negotiations can take place.
"It would be better, certainly, to sit down at the negotiating table and hold these talks than to name such figures. But the leaders of the Kiev regime do not wish to negotiate, but I will also think that starting peace negotiations would require the lifting of martial law. And immediately after that it is necessary to hold presidential elections. Apparently, they're not ready yet. It's their move," he said.
Addressing tensions in the Middle East, the president emphasised that Russia is 'not interested in the conflict escalating' and noted that the country seeks to create 'conditions for the settlement of the situation'.
"Strategically, we will gain nothing from this, we will only see additional problems," Putin added.
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.
President Vladimir Putin said the 'sanitary and non-recoverable losses' of Ukraine's army in the Kursk region 'amounted to 26,000' over the last month, during a press briefing following the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday.
"As for victory, last year, the losses, I believe, in attempts to carry out so-called counter-offensive operations totalled somewhere around 16,000 people - that's sanitary and non-recoverable. Now, only for the last month and in the Kursk direction, I think the sanitary and non-recoverable losses amounted to 26,000 now," he said.
Putin also claimed Kiev is 'not ready yet' for peace talks, adding that Ukraine must first 'lift martial law' and hold presidential elections before negotiations can take place.
"It would be better, certainly, to sit down at the negotiating table and hold these talks than to name such figures. But the leaders of the Kiev regime do not wish to negotiate, but I will also think that starting peace negotiations would require the lifting of martial law. And immediately after that it is necessary to hold presidential elections. Apparently, they're not ready yet. It's their move," he said.
Addressing tensions in the Middle East, the president emphasised that Russia is 'not interested in the conflict escalating' and noted that the country seeks to create 'conditions for the settlement of the situation'.
"Strategically, we will gain nothing from this, we will only see additional problems," Putin added.
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.