Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Wednesday that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region “eliminates the possibility of any peace talks.”
During a news conference in Moscow, Zakharova criticized Kyiv’s attack on Kursk as a “terrorist raid,” asserting that after such an “outrage,” no one will engage in negotiations with the Ukrainian authorities.
“This attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to invade our territory a priori—I’ll reiterate what the Russian leadership has already stated—a priori cancels any chance of negotiations with the bandit junta,” she emphasized.
Zakharova suggested that by initiating the incursion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed to bolster his position, enhance his image among his citizens, and secure more financial support from the West.
She also dismissed as “lies” the claims by Western politicians that Kyiv developed and executed the plan without their backing.
“The US, Britain, and other NATO countries—particularly the Anglo-Saxon duo—are not only ideological backers and financiers but also literally directing the Kyiv regime towards targets within the Russian Federation. Therefore, their statements that this is happening without Western support are false,” she said.
Airspace over two Russian cities—Murmansk and Apatity—was closed due to the threat of drone attacks.
Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to clash in the Kursk region following Kyiv’s incursion on August 5-6.
Russian authorities reported 17 deaths, 140 injuries, and the evacuation of more than 121,000 people since the start of Kyiv’s incursion.
Zelenskyy claimed that Kyiv had captured 92 Russian settlements, describing the operation’s goal as the “establishment of a buffer zone.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the incursion, labeling it a “terrorist attack.”
