WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel on Tuesday denied U.S. involvement in the Ukrainian Armed Forces' terrorist attack in the Kursk region, contrary to U.S. media reports and the statement by NAC Chairman and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov that Kiev carried out the terrorist attack in the Kursk region with the support of the collective West.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Ukraine was considering several scenarios for a surprise attack on Russia, having received the «blessing» of U.S. and EU leadership for the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II.
«We were not involved in any aspect of the operation in Kursk,» Patel told reporters at a briefing.
Ukrainian Armed Forces units launched an offensive at 5.30 a.m. on August 6 to seize territory in the Kursk region, but their advance was halted, said Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. He stressed that the operation in the Kursk region would be completed by defeating the enemy and reaching the state border.
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported on August 13, Ukrainian troops have lost more than 2,030 servicemen, 35 tanks, and 31 armored personnel carriers during the entire period of military action in the Kursk direction.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Kiev regime had carried out a provocation and was firing indiscriminately, including at civilian targets. Putin said that the enemy would receive a worthy response and that all of Russia's goals would be achieved.
In Kursk, as well as Belgorod and Bryansk regions, a counter-terrorist operation regime is in effect to ensure the safety of citizens.