Russia redeploys troops from Kaliningrad to Kursk region - Lithuanian Defense Minister

Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said that Russia is redeploying its troops from the Kaliningrad region to the Kursk region. His country expresses support for this special operation.

He made this statement during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 13. "Let me express my respect for your actions, your maneuvers in the north," Kasčiūnas said.

The minister also noted that Ukraine does not cross any red lines in Russia's Kursk region, which is a good sign. The next positive step, in his opinion, would be to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons on Russian territory. Lithuania is actively lobbying for this permission.

"I say to the Lithuanian people, 'Look at how Ukrainians are fighting for you, because of this, they (Russia - ed.) need to withdraw their troops from Kaliningrad.' We even call it the 'demilitarization' of Kaliningrad, which is happening thanks to the bravery of your military, thanks to your decisions," the Lithuanian official emphasized.

Kasčiūnas also noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region raised the morale of not only Ukrainians but also Lithuanian society. Lithuanians want to support Ukrainians in their struggle even more.

The day before, dictator Putin told Russians that the Russian army was trying to "drive the enemy" out of the Kursk region and boasted that despite these events, the pace of its offensive on the Ukrainian front had "increased by 1.5 times." At the same time, the war criminal demanded that his officials provide reliable protection of the border with Ukraine.

Earlier, the Ukrainian military told the WSJ about the details of the breakthrough into the Kursk region. According to the defenders, they "expected stiffer resistance" from the so-called second army of the world.

It was also reported that the day before, Kyiv officially recognized the operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation for the first time, and the head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that as of August 12, the Armed Forces controlled about 1000 square kilometers in the Kursk region .

Meanwhile, ISW stated that, despite Russia's statements, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to advance in the Kursk region. Meanwhile, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is trying to shift the responsibility for the situation in the region to the Russian military and officials and has already publicly declared his refusal to negotiate with Kyiv.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!