Putin refuses to set deadline for liberating Ukrainian-held Kursk
- 19 December, 10:24
President Vladimir Putin has refused to set a deadline for expulsion of Ukrainian troops from Russia’s border Kursk region where Kyiv launched larges-scale incursion in early August.
Responding a reporter’s relevant question during a press conference on Wednesday, Putin said: I cannot and do not even want to name a specific date when they will be knocked out. There is a battle going on now, such serious battles. We will definitely knock them out. Sorry, I cannot name a specific date. I imagine there are plans, and they will be reported to me." Putin explained that revealing such information could compromise operational security.
It should be noted that Russia has concentrated large number of soldiers, including an estimated number of 12,000 North Korean troops in its Kursk region where Ukrainian army made speedy gains in August. According to some reports, Russia has already re-captured half of the region from Ukrainian troops. Russia aims to liberate the entire Kursk region and make further gains in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region before the signing of the peace deal with Ukraine, which is likely to happen after US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in late January.
According to Kyiv and Washington, Russia is suffering heavy losses in Kursk, with over 200 North Korean troops being killed or injured in the past few days alone.
