Putin accuses Ukraine of large-scale provocation in Russian territory
- 7 August, 12:30
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of staging a large-scale provocation on the country’s Kursk region on the border between the two countries.
“As you know, the Kiev regime has undertaken yet another large-scale provocation, delivering indiscriminate fire from various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses, ambulances,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin in Telegram social media app on Wednesday.
On the same day, Putin met with the heads of security agencies, the Defense Ministry, the General Staff and the Federal Security Service, FSB. “Immediately after our meeting, I will have a meeting with the heads of law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, the FSB and I will hear another report from my colleagues on what is happening in the Kursk region,” he stated.
The comments came after the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its Kursk region was attacked by 300 Ukrainian “militants” who with the support of 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, crossed into Russia. The ministry said that Russian forces backed by artillery and warplanes “didn’t allow the enemy to advance deeper into the territory of the Russian Federation,” adding that Ukrainian troops suffered heavy losses in the attack.
Ukraine did not comment on the attack on Russia’s Kursk region. However, Ukrainian Telegram channels shared video footage showing the aftermath of the attack. In one of the videos, Ukrainian troops were seen taking Russian soldiers hostage in Kursk.
