Ukraine confirmed that it is conducting an operation in Russia's Kursk province and currently controls 28 settlements there. (Source: TASS)

On the social network Telegram , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: "Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported on our defensive actions on the front and our operation in the Kursk region."

Expressing gratitude to Ukrainian soldiers and commanders "for their resilience and decisive actions", the Ukrainian leader also said he had instructed the Security Service of Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and other officials to prepare a humanitarian plan for the region.

According to the leader, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be forced to make peace because Ukraine is determined to fight.

Regarding the situation in Kursk, AFP news agency quoted Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky as saying that the country's army has now occupied about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and is continuing to attack.

On the Russian side, TASS news agency reported that at a meeting with President Putin on the same day, acting Governor of Kursk province Alexei Smirnov confirmed that the Ukrainian army is currently controlling 28 residential areas of this province.

The situation remains difficult as the depth of penetration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) into the territory of Kursk Oblast is 12 km and the width of the front is about 40 km.

Mr. Smirnov said that 12 civilians were killed, 121 people were injured, including 10 children, and the fate of about 2,000 people in these residential areas is still unknown.

Provincial authorities continue to work to determine the whereabouts and status of these people, and take measures to organize humanitarian assistance and evacuation from conflict areas.

President Putin has ordered preparations for possible new attacks by the VSU in the border areas, including in Bryansk Oblast, as this threat remains real in light of recent events in Kursk Oblast. Strengthening border defenses and responding promptly to threats are key tasks in the coming period.

Besides, Mr. Putin declared that Ukraine's attack on the Russian border "will certainly receive a worthy response and all the goals that we have to carry out will certainly be achieved".

According to him, the Ukrainian army will continue to try to threaten the situation in the border area in order to destabilize the internal political situation in Russia.

The leader called on the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the National Guard to ensure the state of the anti-terrorist operation and effective fight against Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the border regions.