Putin guarantees life of Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk if they surrender

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is willing to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region. His comments came as a reply to US President Donald Trump’s appeal for the lives of soldiers blocked by Russian troops.

Putin says a full surrender and withdrawal from the Kursk region is necessary in order to implement Trump’s call.

“For the effective implementation of the US President’s call, a corresponding order from the military-political leadership of Ukraine to its military units to lay down their arms and surrender is necessary.”

Putin added that the servicemen “will be guaranteed life and decent treatment”.

“I would like to emphasize that if they lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and decent treatment in accordance with the norms of international law and the laws of the Russian Federation.”

It’s a backtrack from a few days ago, when he declared that all Ukrainian military personnel captured in the region “will be treated as terrorists.”

The Russian leader made the remarks as he visited the Kursk region on Wednesday for the first time since Kyiv seized settlements there in a surprise cross-border offensive in August last year.

Russian forces have also allegedly executed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in the Kursk region, according to a well-known Ukrainian activist, Serhii Sternenko.

Ukrainian media outlets say at least five POWs were executed in the past week, as the Kremlin intensifies its operations in the region to reclaim ceded territories.

Putin also claims that Ukrainian soldiers have committed numerous crimes against the civilian population.

“we draw attention to the fact that Ukrainian militants have committed numerous crimes against the civilian population in the invasion zone. These acts, as I have already said, are classified as terrorism by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation,” added Putin.

The Russian army, backed by North Korean troops, are now close to completely driving Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Russia's Kursk border region in what would be a major setback for Kyiv.