Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin made a televised visit to troops engaged in combat operations in the Kursk region on Wednesday. Dressed in a camouflage-print shirt, Putin was shown receiving a briefing from Armed Forces Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov on the military’s progress in the area.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin had visited a command post overseeing the Kursk military group. During his visit, the Russian leader issued orders for the complete “liberation” of the region, following recent battles to reclaim territory held by Ukrainian forces since August.
“I expect that all combat objectives will be achieved, and that the Kursk region will soon be entirely free of enemy forces,” Putin declared in a televised statement.
General Gerasimov reported that Russian forces had captured 430 Ukrainian soldiers during the fighting. In response, Putin stated that the detainees should be treated as terrorists under Russian law, potentially facing lengthy prison sentences in Russian courts.
This visit took place at a time when a 30-day ceasefire was agreed upon during negotiations between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. delegation is now set to meet with the Russian delegation to discuss this temporary ceasefire.
It is worth noting that Russia has previously rejected any form of temporary ceasefire on multiple occasions.
