Putin vows to reclaim Kursk as Ukrainian forces advance

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that it is his army's "sacred duty" to restore the previous situation in the Kursk region. "The sacred duty of the armed forces is to do everything to throw the enemy out of these territories and reliably protect our citizens," he said. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are capturing a more significant portion of Russian territory every day.

In an interview with NBC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Kyiv plans to indefinitely hold onto the Russian territories taken during the offensive in the Kursk region. According to the Ukrainian president, the seized Russian territories are the only way to force Russia to negotiate and end the war.

However, Russia does not intend to wait idly. Recently, it was reported that Russian authorities started an unprecedented advertising campaign for contract services after the Armed Forces of Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region.

Analysis shows that this is the most extensive advertising campaign since the beginning of the war, encouraging people to join the army.

Now Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that it is the "sacred duty" of Russian soldiers to reclaim parts of the Kursk region.

Residents of Russia's border regions are suffering due to the war unleashed by Ukraine. It is the duty of the Russian Federation's armored forces to defeat the enemy, Putin said, as quoted by "Ukrainska Pravda." He added that Kyiv wants to provoke Russia and launch an attack on Donbas.

As Ukrainian media emphasizes, such intensive advertising campaigns may indicate problems in recruiting new military personnel for the war in Ukraine.

As of July, authorities have admitted that the rate of recruiting new military personnel has dropped by 30 percent. At the end of the month, Vladimir Putin increased the "pay" for sending troops to the war; in the poorest regions, the payment increased by 400 percent.

Recall the Ukrainian Armed Forces began their offensive operation in the Kursk region on August 6. Kyiv reported an increase in the area controlled by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. According to Oleksandr Syrsky, the territory occupied by Ukrainian armed forces expanded to 488 square miles and includes 100 localities.