Putin says it's his soldiers' "sacred duty" to liberate Kursk Oblast
Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has stated that the main objective of the war against Ukraine remains the capture of Donetsk Oblast, and that liberating the part of Kursk Oblast currently controlled by the Ukrainian military is the "sacred duty" of Russian soldiers.
Source: Russian propaganda media, citing remarks made by Putin at the 9th Eastern Economic Forum on 5 September
Quote from the Kremlin chief: "The liberation [as Putin refers to the occupation of Ukraine's territories – ed.] of Donbas is considered the top priority.’
Details: Putin also added that people living in Russia's border regions are now suffering because of the war he unleashed and said "the sacred duty of the Russian armed forces is to throw the enemy [the Ukrainian Armed Forces] out" of the territory of Kursk Oblast.
Putin persists in his attempts to downplay the results of Ukraine’s successful operation in Kursk and convince the Russian public that the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces control a hundred settlements in Russia means nothing.
"Kyiv wanted to make Russia fuss around and get rattled, and to stop the offensive in Donbas, but none of that happened," the Russian leader said, trying to convince both the Russians and himself.
He also claimed that the offensive in Kursk has weakened Ukrainian forces on key front lines in Ukraine, and that now "Russian troops have only accelerated their offensive operations".
In addition, according to Putin, Russian society has supposedly "consolidated" and "the number of people signing contracts with the Russian Armed Forces has increased".
Background:
- The operation in Kursk Oblast began on 6 August. On 10 August, day five of the Ukrainian army's offensive deep into Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine had brought the war to Russian territory.
- As of 20 August, Ukrainian forces controlled more than 1,260 sq km of territory and 93 settlements in Kursk Oblast.
- On 27 August, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that since the beginning of the operation in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine had captured 594 Russian soldiers and controlled more than 100 settlements or 1,294 sq km of territory.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that such actions are aimed at creating a buffer zone to prevent Russian military operations against Ukraine.
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