Russia's statement on the Kursk offensive: '10 settlements...'

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that 10 settlements in the Kursk region, which is Russian territory held by Ukrainian forces, have been recaptured.

The statement from the ministry provided information regarding the Russian army's operations in the Kursk direction.

Noting that clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces continue in the Kursk region, the statement used the phrase, 'As a result of the attacks by units of the Northern Military Group, 10 settlements in the region were liberated in two days.'

The statement, which reported that air and ground attacks were carried out on locations where Ukrainian soldiers were present, stated that Ukraine has lost more than 300 soldiers and 24 armored vehicles in the last 24 hours.

The statement indicated that since August 6, the Ukrainian army has lost approximately 12 thousand 500 soldiers, 101 tanks, 42 infantry fighting vehicles, 83 armored personnel carriers, and 699 armored vehicles in the Kursk direction.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a press conference held today in the capital Kyiv with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated that the Russian army had launched attacks on the Kurshchina settlement under Ukrainian control in the Kursk region, saying, 'The Russians have begun counter-offensive actions. Everything is going according to our plan.'

WHAT HAPPENED?

Following the attacks launched by the Ukrainian army on the Russian territory of the Kursk region on August 6, intense clashes had begun between the two armies.

It was reported that in the region, where the situation was raised to a 'federal emergency' level by Russia and a counter-terrorism status was declared, more than 30 people had lost their lives and over 100 people had been injured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a statement that Ukrainian soldiers must be expelled from the Kursk region.