Russia’s task is to push Ukraine out of Kursk region ‘in shortest possible time’: Putin

​​​​​​​By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked his country’s forces on Wednesday to push Ukraine’s military from the Kursk region “in the shortest possible time.”

“Indeed, our task in the near future is to finally defeat the enemy, who has dug in on the territory of the Kursk region and is conducting military operations here, in the shortest possible time,” Putin said at a meeting at a command post in the border region.

The remarks come as the Russian president embarked on a surprise visit to the border region for the first time since Ukraine’s incursion, which Kyiv launched in August.

The incursion began on the night of Aug. 5 - 6, when Ukrainian forces entered near the town of Sudzha, approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border.

The Russian president said Moscow, in the future, needs to think about creating a security zone along its border with Ukraine.