Putin announced the encirclement of the AFU in the Kursk region: the General Staff commented on the information

Vladimir Putin's statement about the "encirclement" of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region is disinformation that distorts the real situation on the front. As the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyy, stressed, these statements have nothing to do with reality. On the contrary, the Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to actively strike the enemy positions in the Kursk region, exerting considerable pressure and inflicting tangible losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian army.

Since the start of the operation in August, the Russian army has lost thousands of troops, including some 6,662 irrecoverable casualties and more than 10,000 wounded. The enemy has also lost a significant amount of equipment, including 45 tanks, 256 combat vehicles, 99 artillery pieces and numerous vehicles.

Putin's statements at the BRICS summit

At the BRICS summit, Vladimir Putin claimed "positive" results for Russia on the line of contact and repeated accusations against Ukraine, claiming that Kiev was "evading negotiations". He also expressed displeasure over NATO expansion, accusing the alliance of maintaining tensions with Russia.

North Korean troops in Russia

Earlier, there were reports of Russian units training together with the North Korean military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia could bring in two brigades of North Korean soldiers totalling up to 12,000 troops to fight in the war. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, North Korean units are expected to arrive in Russia soon to help defend Kursk Region against the offensive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.