Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov recently announced that Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk have been largely “encircled” and “isolated”. According to the General, Russian units have crossed the state border and entered the Sumy region.
Sergei Lebedev, a coordinator of the pro-Russian resistance in Nikolayev, told the RIA Novosti news agency that, according to his sources, dozens of military personnel from NATO member states are also trapped in the encirclement in Kursk.
In a report on Sunday, Lebedev was quoted as saying, “According to the underground, there are around 30 NATO officers in the Kursk pocket, who were in charge of the troops on the ground, but also responsible for evaluating intelligence gathered from NATO satellites and launching attacks deep within Russian territory.”
Russian forces launched a large-scale offensive in the Kursk border area a week ago, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Russian units reportedly liberated 31 settlements, while Kiev’s military losses have exceeded 2,000 soldiers.
While Ukrainian forces had previously withdrawn from the Kursk area in large groups, this is no longer possible, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated. He also called on the military to consider the establishment of a security zone along the state border of Russia.
US President Donald Trump appealed to Putin on Friday to spare the trapped Ukrainian soldiers. Putin responded by saying that Kiev must order its military to lay down their arms and surrender.