The course of the more than two-year-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine changed last week with Ukraine’s attack on the Kursk region. While the world’s eyes are once again turning to the region with concern, now Belarusian leader Lukashenko’s nuclear weapons campaign has made a splash. Lukashenko has drawn the line clearly: “We will not use any weapons until you step on our state borders!”
“THESE RED BUTTONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRESSED”
Lukashenko answered the question of whether he was ready to press the “red button” to use the nuclear weapons in the country in an interview with Russian state television channel Rossiya.
Lukashenko said that the “red button” regarding nuclear weapons had already been pressed everywhere, adding: “These red buttons have already been pressed around Belarus and Russia. All that remains is to press the ‘reddest’ one.”
NUCLEAR WEAPON EXIT: I TOLD OUR COMPETITORS DIRECTLY
Stressing that it would be morally inappropriate to talk about such decisions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko said, “When tactical nuclear weapons appeared in Belarus, I directly told them (our foreign opponents): We will not use any weapons until you step on our state borders. This is the border of the Belarus-Russia Union State.”
UKRAINE: 1150 SQUARE KILOMETRES OF AREA IN KURSK REGION UNDER CONTROL
On the other hand, it was reported that the Ukrainian army took control of 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia. Chief of the Ukrainian General Staff Oleksandr Sirsky said, “Our troops repelled three enemy counterattacks and continue offensive actions. Since the start of the operation in the Kursk region, our troops have advanced 35 kilometers through enemy defenses. 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements have been taken under control. In general, the situation is under control.”
“MORE THAN 100 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS SURRENDERED”
The Telegram channel of the Ukrainian Prisoner of War Treatment Coordination Headquarters’ “Hochu jit” (I want to live) Project reported that more than 100 Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region on August 14. In the images shared on the channel, the Russian soldiers who were said to have been captured were seen lying on the ground.
UKRAINE COUNTERATTACKS FROM KURSK
After the Ukrainian army launched attacks on the Russian Kursk region on August 6, violent clashes broke out between the two armies.
Russia had announced that the situation had been raised to the level of “federal emergency” and a state of war against terrorism had been declared in the region, where 121 thousand people had been evacuated and a total of 180 thousand people would be evacuated.
It was reported that 12 people were killed and 121 people, including 10 children, were injured in the Ukrainian army’s attacks on the Kursk region.
(AA)