Ukraine formed a buffer zone on the territory of the Kursk region

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the situation in the Kursk region. There they discussed key issues — security, humanitarian aid, and creation of military command posts if necessary.

This was reported by President Zelensky.

"Ukraine protects itself and the lives of its people in border communities and takes active actions on Russian territory. Our forces strictly comply with the requirements of international conventions and international humanitarian law," Zelensky emphasized.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets said that for self-defense, the Ukrainian military formed a buffer zone on the territory of the Kursk region. Ukraine plans to open humanitarian corridors there for the evacuation of civilians, admit representatives of the UN and the Red Cross, and arrange the supply of food and medicine.

The creation of a buffer zone in the Kursk region is a step that should protect the border communities of Ukraine from daily Russian shelling, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko emphasized. Due to constant shelling, the population of 183 settlements in 15 territorial communities of the Sumy region is subject to priority evacuation. More than 20 000 people have already been evacuated, of which almost 2 500 are children.

What is happening in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation

On the morning of August 6, Russian telegram channels began to spread information about the battles in the Kursk region of Russia (bordering Sumy region) and the alleged major offensive of the Armed Forces.

Until August 12, Ukraine did not officially confirm the operation in the region, until the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky announced that Ukraine controls almost 1 000 km² of the Kursk region of Russia.

On August 12, the Kursk region Governor Aleksei Smirnov acknowledged the loss of control over 28 settlements in the region. Journalists of The New York Times found out that Ukraine was secretly preparing an attack on Russia — the officers learned about it three days before the attack, the soldiers — only a day.