Russia postpones local elections in 7 districts of Kursk region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia said on Wednesday that voting for the country’s upcoming local elections will be postponed in seven districts of the Kursk region.

A statement by Russia’s Central Election Commission said that the decision was made after the proposal given by the electoral commission in the border region, where Ukraine launched an incursion two weeks prior.

The statement said the districts concerned are Belovsky, Bolshesoldatsky, Glushkovsky, Korenevsky, Sudzhansky and Khomutovsky, as well as the town of Lgov.

“The process of preparing and holding elections will be resumed with a full guarantee of voter safety,” the statement further said.

Russian citizens will vote at local and regional levels on Sept. 8.

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk began on the night of Aug. 5-6, with its forces entering the border region near the town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of carrying out a “large-scale provocation” and “indiscriminate shooting,” defining the incursion as a “terrorist attack.”

He also dismissed peace talks with Ukraine, questioning how Russia could have negotiations with “those who indiscriminately attack civilians and civilian infrastructure, or pose threats to nuclear power facilities.”

Days later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted it was an “operation” by Ukraine’s troops, specifying that the goal is to create a “buffer zone” against Russian attacks.

Late Tuesday, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed his forces have advanced 35 kilometers (nearly 22 miles) in Russian territory, capturing 1,263 square kilometers (487 square miles) and 93 settlements in Kursk since the start of the incursion.