Ukraine says it has no intention of occupying Russia's Kursk Oblast, and Russia's Belgorod Oblast has entered a state of emergency
2024-08-14
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Source: CCTV News Client
Ukraine said on August 13 that its army was continuing its offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, while stating that Ukraine had no intention of occupying Russian territory. In view of the extremely tense situation in the region, Russia's Belgorod Oblast, which is adjacent to Kursk Oblast, declared a regional state of emergency on August 14 to strengthen the protection of residents in the state.
Ukraine continues offensive in Russia's Kursk region
Alexander Serski, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, held a video call with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on the 13th. Serski reported that in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army continued to advance in Kursk Oblast, controlling more than 40 square kilometers of land. Since the raid on the state on August 6, the Ukrainian army has controlled 74 settlements.
Zelensky instructed Serski to consider the next "key steps" in the war, to which the latter replied that "everything is going according to plan."
Russia says it will evacuate civilians, Ukraine says it has no intention of occupying
Russia and Ukraine have different accounts of the fighting in Kursk Oblast. According to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian troops prevented Ukrainian troops from advancing further in several villages 26 to 28 kilometers from the border in Kursk Oblast. Russian officials said that about 121,000 Russian civilians have been evacuated.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on the 13th that Ukraine has "no interest" in occupying Kursk Oblast, and the Ukrainian army's offensive is aimed at protecting its people. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Russia has launched attacks on Ukraine from Kursk Oblast in recent months using artillery, missiles, drones and other weapons.
On the same day, Myhaylo Podolak, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, said that the raid on Kursk Oblast was one of Ukraine's military means to force Russia to engage in peace talks. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also stated that "the sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace... the sooner the Ukrainian army's raid on Russia will end."
Belgorod Oblast declares state of emergency as tensions mount
In Belgorod Oblast, which borders southeastern Kursk Oblast, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a video speech posted on social media on the 14th that the current situation in Belgorod Oblast is extremely tense and complicated, with Ukrainian armed forces carrying out shelling every day, causing damage to houses and civilian casualties. Belgorod Oblast decided to implement a regional state of emergency throughout the province from the 14th, with the aim of strengthening protection for residents and providing additional assistance to victims.
Gladkov said that the Belgorod Oblast government will request the relevant committee of the Russian federal government to upgrade the current regional state of emergency in the state to a federal state of emergency.
Facing the international community, Andriy Yermak, director of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on the 13th that Ukraine intends to hold an online international conference later this month as a follow-up to the "Ukrainian Peace Summit" held in Switzerland in June.
Russia was not invited to the "Ukrainian Peace Summit". Russia has repeatedly stressed that it is "absurd" to try to seek "peace" without Russia's participation.
International community pays close attention to Russia's criticism of Ukraine's attack on civilians
The UN Security Council held an informal meeting on the 13th. Representatives from the United States, France and the United Kingdom once again expressed their support for Ukraine, but none of them mentioned the Ukrainian army's raid on Kursk Oblast. Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky criticized Western countries for remaining silent on the raid and accused the Ukrainian army of deliberately attacking Russian civilians.
U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar told Russian Satellite News Agency reporters on the 13th that Ukraine's "suicidal cross-border raid" on Kursk Oblast will not help end the Ukrainian crisis.
