Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on Wednesday over Russian state televisions wearing pixilated military fatigues and addressed Russia’s top military brass.
Putin was pictured wearing military fatigues while visiting the Kursk region of Western Russia for the first time since Ukrainian forces had seized some territory in the region.
Ukrainian forces fell back from the region this week prior to Putin’s visit, which came as talks of a 30-day ceasefire took place on Tuesday between delegations from the United States and Ukraine.
“Indeed, in the shortest possible time is to finally defeat the enemy entrenched in the Kursk region and still conducting defensive actions here,” Putin said.
This dealt a major blow to the country’s fight against Russia after the U.S. temporarily cut off military aid to Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s disastrous Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump.
“Its systematic destruction is underway,” Gerasimov said.
Russian state media reported that Russian forces should be able to completely clear the region of Ukrainian forces as soon as possible, despite the U.S. announcing on Tuesday it would be ending the pause on intelligence sharing and military aid to the country.
“People who are in the Kursk region, who commit crimes against civilians here, who oppose our armed forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, … are the people we should certainly treat as terrorists,” Putin said, adding that Russia does not intend to extend the Geneva Conventions to foreigners fighting on Ukraine’s side.
Russian state media reported that Russian forces should be able to completely clear the region of Ukrainian forces as soon as possible, despite the U.S. announcing on Tuesday it would be ending the pause on intelligence sharing and military aid to the country.
“People who are in the Kursk region, who commit crimes against civilians here, who oppose our armed forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, … are the people we should certainly treat as terrorists,” Putin said, adding that Russia does not intend to extend the Geneva Conventions to foreigners fighting on Ukraine’s side.
Putin added that any soldiers captured as prisoners of war in the Kursk region would be treated as terrorists.
Ukraine’s top army commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday that the country’s troops would continue to operate in the Kursk region “as long as appropriate and necessary.”
