Kursk region establishes first Ukrainian military commandant's office – Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi
During his report to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's armed forces, announced the establishment of the first military commandant's office in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
Syrskyi reported that at the General Staff meeting on August 15.
The country's leader met with the military command to discuss the front, weapons, prisoner exchange, and legislative initiatives.
"On the territory of the Kursk region, the search and elimination of the enemy in Sudzha and three other settlements has been completed.
A military commandant was created to maintain law and order and ensure the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories, and its head, Major General Moskaliov, was appointed," Syrskyi emphasized.
Since the start of the day, the Defense Forces have advanced in separate directions from 500 m to 1.5 km and successfully repelled three attacks. The fighters are still carrying out offensive actions. Overall, since the beginning of the operation in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 km, taken control of an area of 1150 m², and captured 82 settlements.
In turn, the head of state noted that some legal positions of the country need to be strengthened:
- "The first solution. We must clearly guarantee precisely at the legislative level that our soldiers who participate in the Kursk operation, for example, and will participate in all our other actions on the aggressor state's territory, will receive all the payments and preferences provided for the front line.
- The second solution. Every soldier who defends Ukraine deserves recognition and maximum support. This applies, in particular, to those of our soldiers – Ukrainian legionnaires – who currently have the citizenship of other states, but not Ukraine yet. They deserve to be our citizens, citizens of Ukraine. It is also fair to extend this to their relatives, our heroes' relatives.
- The third solution. The issue of trophy weapons should be settled.
"And one more thing. Traitors who fled to the Russian Federation after February 24. Collaborators who work for the war. They should be deprived of any titles and awards in Ukraine," the President emphasized.
For reference:
On the morning of August 6, information appeared on Russian Telegram channels that Ukrainian defenders allegedly broke through the border and entered the territory of the Kursk region, Russia.
The Russian Federation's dictator, Vladimir Putin, recently had a virtual meeting with the acting governor of the Kursk region, Aleksey Smirnov, and encouraged him to stay strong and composed. Additionally, the Russian government has announced plans to provide 10,000 rubles ($116) to residents of the Kursk region who evacuated from high-risk areas.
According to the Washington Post, Ukraine now controls the Sudzha gas measuring station, located approximately 8 kilometers deep in Russia. Russia does not deny this.
On August 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, directly confirmed the Ukrainian military's offensive operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation for the first time. Currently, Ukrainian troops control about a thousand square kilometers of Russian territory.
It is worth noting that as of August 12, the Ukrainian army controls approximately 44 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia, reports DeepState.
According to Zelensky,Ukraine's armed forces currently control 74 settlements in the Kursk region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Ukraine has no intention of seizing any territories in Russia's Kursk region. Its primary focus is ensuring the safety and well-being of Ukrainian citizens. At the same time, this operation aims to hinder the enemy from sending more troops to the Donetsk region and disrupt their logistical efforts.