"Civilian Attacks in Ukraine, No Negotiations Possible"
Acting Governor of Kursk, Hit by Airstrikes, Reports to Putin
"28 Villages Occupied, Situation Difficult"
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on the 12th (local time) that Ukraine is provoking from the Russian mainland bordering the border to gain an advantageous position in negotiations.
According to major foreign media such as TASS, President Putin made these remarks during a meeting on the border situation, including Kursk, held in Novo-Ogaryovo on the outskirts of Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a press conference after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 4 (local time). The SCO is a political, economic, and security consultative organization led by China and Russia. 2024.07.05 [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Putin also rhetorically asked, "How can we negotiate with those who attack civilians and civilian infrastructure or threaten nuclear power plant facilities?"
He said that the reason Ukraine rejected Russia's ceasefire proposal became clear due to this provocation, claiming, "The West is using Ukraine to fight against Russia."
Since the 6th, Ukraine has launched an offensive from across the border into Kursk on Russian mainland. Russia is rushing operations to repel this, but the fighting continues. This battle is considered Ukraine's largest attack on Russian mainland since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Aleksey Smirnov, acting governor of Kursk, where a state of emergency and counterterrorism operation system have been declared, attended the meeting via video conference and reported that Ukraine had advanced up to 12 km inside Russian territory and that 28 villages had fallen under enemy control, making the situation difficult.
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