Russia begins demining border areas of Kursk region

Moscow, March 15 (IANS) Russian engineering units have started demining operations in reclaimed border areas of the Kursk region, the Russian Defence Ministry said Saturday.

The efforts are aimed to facilitate the restoration of essential infrastructure and the resumption of economic activities following intense combat, the ministry said in a statement.

It added that the engineering units have discovered munitions banned by the Geneva Convention.

Over the past weeks, Russian troops have retaken a large part of areas that Ukraine captured after its surprise cross-border attack in the Kursk region in August last year.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday denied claims that Ukrainian forces had been encircled in Russia's western Kursk region.

"The operation of our forces in certain areas of the Kursk region continues," Zelensky said in a Telegram post, adding that the Ukrainian troops were not surrounded.

He said that thanks to the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, a significant number of Russian forces were withdrawn from other directions.

Zelensky also warned that Russia is amassing its troops along Ukraine's eastern border and planning to attack Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had on Friday confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers that are currently in the Kursk region will be guaranteed life if they surrender, Xinhua news agency reported.

"If they lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and dignified treatment in accordance with the norms of international law and the laws of the Russian Federation," he said during a meeting with members of the Russian Security Council.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration "had very good and productive discussions," with Putin yesterday, adding that there is a very good chance that the "horrible, bloody war" can finally come to an end.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that thousands of Ukrainian troops were currently surrounded by the Russian military, adding that he urged Putin to spare their lives.

Putin noted that in order for Trump's call to be carried out, Ukraine's leadership must order its troops to surrender.

In an earlier statement on Friday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied the reports that Ukrainian troops had been encircled in Russia's western Kursk region.

The Ukrainian army launched an offensive into Russia's Kursk region in August, seizing about 1,300 square kilometers of land. As the Russian army intensified its counterattack in recent weeks, the situation for the Ukrainian forces in the region is reportedly deteriorating rapidly.

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