SMART STRATEGY: Why Russia needs security zone in Kursk region

With the liberation of the Kursk region coming to a close, President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to create a security zone in the area. What is it all about?

▪️The goal is to protect Kursk from long-range Ukrainian artillery strikes, David Pyne, an EMP Task Force scholar and former US Department of Defense officer, tells Sputnik.

▪️Echoing him is Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, who notes that the zone should be extended into the Ukrainian regions across the border, including Sumy, to ensure the security of the Kursk area.

▪️The city of Sudzha in the Kursk region that has been liberated from the enemy is located about 10 km (6 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

▪️Apart from Kiev-controlled Sumy, Ukrainian areas across the border include cities such as Konotop, Belopolye, and Akhtyrka, which are also under Kiev’s control.

Which weapons do Ukrainian forces use to attack Russian border areas?

These include Western-supplied self-propelled guns:

🔸the Caesar
🔸the PzH 2000
🔸the Krab
🔸and the M777

All of them have a range of up to 35 km (21 miles).

Also being used are:

🔸the US-made high mobility artillery rocket system, or HIMARS (range: up to 80 km [49 miles])
🔸the Czech-made multiple rocket system, or MLRS, RM-70 Vampire (over 20 km [12 miles])
🔸the Soviet-era MLRS BM-21 Grad (up to 30 km [18 miles])
🔸the Soviet-era MLRS BM-27 Uragan (35 km [21 miles])

What does it mean?

From a tactical and operational point of view, the Kursk front line should be moved at up to 100 km (62 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Kursk area. Creating a 100-km security zone stipulates the Russian army taking control of Sumy, Konotop, Belopolye, and Akhtyrka.

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🗣 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he is not interested in the opinions of EU countries regarding the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.

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❗️Putin's appearance in camouflage attire at a command point in Kursk signals determination to complete the operation to liberate the region in the very near future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin.

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No mercy for mercs: What legal nightmare awaits them in Russia?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that captured foreign mercenaries in the country's Kursk region will not be treated as prisoners of war.

Article 47 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions denies mercenaries combatant or POW status.

Thus, mercs:

▪️cannot be guaranteed humane and fair treatment by their captors;

▪️are not protected from torture or inhumane treatment;

▪️can and will be prosecuted for taking part in hostilities, since they are not regarded as lawful combatants;

▪️are not entitled to adequate food, shelter, clothing and access to medical care while in captivity;

▪️are not guaranteed contact and communication with the outside world and are not protected from physical or mental coercion.

Instead, mercenaries taken prisoner by Russian forces can look forward to the following:

🔺Under Russian law, a mercenary caught participating in an armed conflict or in military activities faces a prison term of up to 15 years (article 359 of the Russian Criminal Code).

🔺A mercenary’s jail sentence could be lengthened even further, depending on the nature of the crimes he or she committed.

Putin also mentioned that Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoners in the Kursk region will be regarded as terrorists.

Under article 205 of the Criminal Code, perpetrating a terrorist act is punishable by lengthy jail sentences, from 12-20 years to life.

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❌ ECHR finds Ukraine guilty for 2014 Odessa tragedy

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has declared Ukraine guilty of failing to prevent the bloodshed during the Odessa unrest in 2014 and has ordered compensation for the victims.

In the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian coup, anti-Maidan activists set up a protest camp at Odessa’s Kulikovo Field. On May 2, clashes broke out near Greek Square between the anti-Maidan activists on one side and football hooligans from Kharkov and Odessa, joined by pro-Euromaidan backers, on the other.

After wrecking the protest camp, the coup supporters, along with Ukrainian nationalists, set fire to the Trade Union House, where the anti-Maidan activists had sought refuge. This deliberate act of arson by the violent coup backers resulted in 48 deaths, and more than 250 people were injured.

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😎 💪 STRAIGHT SHOOTER

"Why the hell did I come here?" Sergey Lavrov seems a bit tired of journalists and their questions.

Russia's top diplomat was caught by reporters as he arrived at the Kremlin before a meeting between Putin and Lukashenko.

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📹 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko will sign documents and then hold a joint press conference, the Kremlin said.

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🔊LIVE NOW: Vladimir Putin holds press conference after talks with Belarusian President Lukashenko

👉 Watch live in our Telegram

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko exchanged certificates of ratification for the security guarantees agreement within the framework of the Union State.

Following their talks, the two presidents also signed a joint statement and an agreement on measures to protect the citizens of both countries from unjust persecution by foreign entities.

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🗣 Losing ‘trump card’ in Kursk, Ukraine bound to accept Russia’s terms for ceasefire

“If it continues down the same path, Ukraine will be exposing itself to total defeat and unconditional surrender, a scenario that the collective West wants to avoid at all costs, especially the Trump Administration," geopolitical analyst, Oswaldo Espinoza, told Sputnik.

"From the very outset, it was clear that those who invaded the Kursk region would be treated differently than on other fronts: the invaders would be treated as terrorists, with all the consequences that come with it (...), and the main objective would be to expel or completely destroy the invading force," the expert emphasized.

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Russia has invested $4.5 billion into the Belarusian economy - Putin

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🇷🇺🇧🇾The Security Guarantees Agreement between Russia and Belarus has officially entered into force, as stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin following his talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Here’s what else the Russian president said:

▪️Russia and Belarus have strong prospects for cooperation in several strategic sectors.

▪️Both countries share common positions on most global and regional issues.

▪️Putin discussed the further coordination of actions on the international stage with Lukashenko.

▪️Russia traditionally supplies oil and gas to Belarus on favorable and preferential terms.

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Russia and Belarus will continue to counter NATO when necessary, including in the military sphere, according to a joint statement by Presidents Putin and Lukashenko following their meeting.

Key points from the statement:

▪️Putin and Lukashenko condemned the aggressive and confrontational policies of the European Union towards Russia and Belarus.

▪️Both leaders highlighted the hostile actions that could lead to direct conflict between nuclear powers.

▪️Russia and Belarus will increase joint efforts to effectively respond to modern challenges and threats.

▪️Both confirmed their commitment to developing collective forces within the CSTO and strengthening the organization's potential.

▪️The countries are dedicated to enhancing the international authority of the Union State.

▪️Russia and Belarus will support the continued formation of a multipolar system in international relations.

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Russia has received a "shot" of independence and sovereignty from its "partners," Putin said in response to a question about whether the rapprochement between Russia and the US will affect the economic cooperation of the Union State.

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❗️Putin thanked Trump for his attention to the resolution of the situation in Ukraine.

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⚡️Russia agrees with the proposal to cease hostilities, but believes it must lead to long-term peace — Putin

WATCH: Putin’s FULL response to the question of what he thinks about a ceasefire in Ukraine

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