Latest news with #UkraineIncursion
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Lavrov thanks ‘heroic' North Korean soldiers for helping liberate Kursk Region
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has thanked the North Korean troops who helped liberate Russia's Kursk Region earlier this year from a cross-border incursion by Ukraine. Kiev's forces captured some of the border areas in Kursk Region last August before being gradually pushed back. Russia fully liberated the territory this past April. The Defense Ministry in Moscow estimated that Ukraine sustained more than 76,000 casualties in its failed incursion. During a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui at the Wonsan Kalma resort on Saturday, Lavrov stressed that 'the heroic soldiers of the the Korean People's Army together with the Russian servicemen brought closer the liberation of Kursk Region with the cost of their blood and even their lives.' The minister expanded on the issue during a press conference with Russian journalists later in the day, saying that Moscow again thanked Pyongyang for its contribution to freeing the area from 'the Ukrainian Neo-Nazis and foreign mercenaries.' A monument to the North Korean troops who fought in Kursk Region will be erected in Russia, he said, adding that the initiative is 'fully backed by our North Korean friends.' When asked if there were plans to deploy North Korean forces elsewhere in the Ukraine conflict, Lavrov explained that the arrival in Kursk Region of troops from North Korea was in response to a proposal made by the country's leader, Kim Jong-un. The deployment took place under a defense pact signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in June 2024. 'We had no reason to refuse this sincere manifestation of solidarity, and we proceed from the fact that North Korea itself determines the forms in which it implements our agreement on strategic partnership,' he said. Last month, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu announced that around 6,000 North Korean personnel will soon be sent to Kursk Region in line with a decision by Kim. Some 1,000 mine clearance specialists will help with de-mining the territory, while the other 5,000 will be military engineers who will take part in 'rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by the occupants,' he said.
Russia Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin visits Kursk Region for first time since full liberation from Ukrainian forces
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Kursk Region for the first time since its full liberation from Ukrainian forces, the Kremlin has said. In late April, Putin announced the full liberation of the border areas of Kursk Region, which had been seized by Kiev's troops after they launched an incursion last August. During his tour of the region on Tuesday, the Russian leader visited the construction site of the new Kursk 2 nuclear power plant in the city of Kurchatov. He also held a meeting with Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein, as well as the heads of local municipalities and volunteers who have been helping those affected by the incursion, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. Putin thanked the volunteers for 'the noble, important and… unfortunately, dangerous' work that they had been doing. 'You and I are a team, and the whole country today is one united team. And this is the unquestionable success of all our endeavors. This is a necessary condition for achieving all our goals,' he stressed. The president said that the situation in Kursk Region remains 'difficult' even after its full liberation, as Ukrainian forces continue their attempts to move towards the Russian border. Putin has also ordered an increase in the number of mine clearance specialists working in Kursk Region so that people can return home as soon as possible. Payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue, while state funds will also be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region, he said. According to Putin, a museum will be set up in Kursk Region dedicated to the efforts to repel the incursion.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian incursion forces set up bases in Russian churches
Ukraine's armed forces used churches in Russia's Kursk Region as strongholds during their failed incursion, President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that many of the buildings suffered serious damage during the liberation of the region. Following a meeting with the heads of the region's municipalities on Tuesday, Putin called on local authorities, including the acting Kursk governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, to create a special program to assess the damage and submit proposals on how to restore the churches as well as repair associated buildings. During his trip to Kursk, which was only made public on Wednesday morning, the president emphasized the integral role of the Russian Orthodox Church, stating that it had 'been with its people throughout history.' Putin's visit to Kursk marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to the region since it was fully liberated from Kiev's forces last month. Ukraine launched its incursion into the border region last August in what it claimed to be an attempt to seize territory as leverage for eventual peace negotiations. In March, when Ukrainian troops had already started being driven out of Kursk, Putin reported that Kiev's forces were purposely causing destruction, targeting churches, cultural heritage sites, as well as industrial and energy facilities. While touring the region on Tuesday, the president admitted that the situation in Kursk remains 'difficult' even after its full liberation, particularly as Kiev's forces have continued their attempts to move towards the Russian border. Putin has ordered regional authorities to expedite efforts to restore the region and employ more mine clearing specialists so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible. He also announced that payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue and that state funds would be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian forces turned churches in Kursk Region into fortresses
Ukraine's armed forces turned churches in Russia's Kursk Region into fortresses during their failed incursion, President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that many of the buildings suffered serious damage during the liberation of the region. Following a meeting with the heads of the region's municipalities on Tuesday, Putin called on local authorities, including the acting Kursk governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, to create a special program to assess the damage and submit proposals on how to restore the churches as well as repair associated buildings. During his trip to Kursk, which was only made public on Wednesday morning, the president emphasized the integral role of the Russian Orthodox Church, stating that it had 'been with its people throughout history.' Putin's visit to Kursk marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to the region since it was fully liberated from Kiev's forces last month. Ukraine launched its incursion into the border region last August in what it claimed to be an attempt to seize territory as leverage for eventual peace negotiations. In March, when Ukrainian troops had already started being driven out of Kursk, Putin reported that Kiev's forces were purposely causing destruction, targeting churches, cultural heritage sites, as well as industrial and energy facilities. While touring the region on Tuesday, the president admitted that the situation in Kursk remains 'difficult' even after its full liberation, particularly as Kiev's forces have continued their attempts to move towards the Russian border. Putin has ordered regional authorities to expedite efforts to restore the region and employ more mine clearing specialists so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible. He also announced that payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue and that state funds would be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region.
