Russian President Vladimir Putin, heart, speaks throughout his go to to the Tubten Shedrub Ling datsan in Kyzyl, Tuva Republic, Russia, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. | Picture credit score: AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday (2 September 2024) that his navy was advancing quickly in japanese Ukraine, citing this as proof that kyiv’s cross-border incursion into the Kursk area was failing.
His feedback got here hours after Moscow fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine in a single day, wounding at the very least three folks in kyiv and damaging a mosque moments earlier than the brand new college 12 months was set to start.
“Persons are experiencing severe difficulties, particularly within the Kursk area,” Putin informed schoolchildren at a televised occasion in Siberia.
“However the enemy failed to realize the primary process it had set itself – to cease our offensive in Donbas… We’ve not had such a tempo of offensive in Donbas for a very long time,” he added.
Donbas refers to a big space in japanese Ukraine encompassing the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, which Moscow claims as its personal and towards which its forces say they’re advancing.
Ukraine launched a shock offensive in Russia’s Kursk area on August 6, sending hundreds of troops throughout the border within the largest incursion on Russian soil since World Conflict II.
kyiv stated the intention of the offensive was to push Russian troops away from japanese Ukraine and increase Moscow’s forces.
Some 130,000 folks have fled the Russian border area for the reason that begin of the combating, which has killed at the very least a dozen folks and wounded greater than 100, in line with Russian state media.
“In fact, we’ve to struggle towards these bandits who entered the territory of the Russian Federation, particularly within the Kursk area, making an attempt to destabilise the scenario within the border areas,” Putin stated on the assembly.
The Russian chief’s remarks marked a shift from his earlier statements on the incursion, which he had described as an “evolving scenario.”
‘Marketing campaign of destruction’
Russia has claimed in latest weeks to have captured numerous small villages and settlements in japanese Ukraine, slowly advancing in direction of the city of Pokrovsk.
Pokrovsk sits on the intersection of a key freeway supplying Ukrainian troops and cities on the Jap Entrance and has lengthy been a goal for Moscow’s navy.
Ukraine rushed to evacuate households from Pokrovsk, the place some 60,000 folks lived earlier than Moscow launched its 2022 assault.
The Russian Protection Ministry stated at a information convention on Monday that it had captured the village of “Skuchne” within the japanese Donetsk area, with out offering additional particulars.
Russia fired greater than two dozen missiles and greater than 20 drones at Ukraine in a single day, moments earlier than the college 12 months started, in line with kyiv.
Loud explosions had been heard within the capital at round 5:30 am (0230 GMT), journalists in kyiv reported.
“In the course of the evening, Russia fired a complete of 35 missiles, together with ballistic ones, and 23 drones at Ukraine,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.
He stated a mosque within the capital had been “severely broken” and condemned Russia for its “marketing campaign of destruction towards the Ukrainian folks.”
Ukraine shot down 9 ballistic missiles, 13 cruise missiles and 20 assault drones, the air drive stated.
