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The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu, and Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov. Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces and First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov reported on the developments in the Kursk Region in connection with the provocation by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

Please report on the latest developments in the Kursk Region regarding your agencies.

The Chief of the General Staff [Valery Gerasimov] is at an operational control centre right now. He will report via videoconference.

Next, Mr Shoigu will report on the results of his trip to Iran and Azerbaijan.

Mr Gerasimov, go ahead.

Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov: Comrade Commander-in-Chief,

At 5.30 am on August 6, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine numbering up to 1,000 people went on the offensive with the aim of capturing a section of the territory of the Sudzha District in the Kursk Region.

The joint actions by the state border covering units together with border guards and reinforcement units, air strikes, missile forces, and artillery fire stopped the enemy’s advance into the territory in the Kursk direction.

At present, units of the North group together with the border authorities of the Russian Federal Security Service continue to destroy the enemy in areas just along Russia-Ukraine border.

The enemy’s losses amounted to 315 people, including at least 100 killed and 215 injured, with 54 armoured vehicles destroyed, including seven tanks.

We will complete the operation by defeating the enemy and reaching the state border.

The report is over.

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