Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russian troops are 'complete defeat' of Ukrainian forces in Kursk region, Reuters reported, BTA reports.
The offensive by Ukrainian forces, which began in August, was aimed at diverting Russian troops from eastern Ukraine, providing bargaining chips for possible future negotiations and provoking a reaction from Putin.
“Recently, our troops have carried out a number of swift and quite bold effective operations and are completing the defeat of enemy troop groups in Kursk region”, the Russian president said, quoted by TASS.
Putin stressed that according to Russian legislation, all Ukrainian servicemen, as well as foreign mercenaries operating on Russian territory and committing crimes against the civilian population, are qualified as terrorists.
He ordered the prosecutor's office and other competent authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into all alleged crimes committed by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.