UN seeking access to Russia’s Kursk Region

Russian lawmaker Aleksey Chepa, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told the media on Tuesday that Moscow is inclined to approve the UN request for access.

“If there are no provocations here, and the UN commissioners will be objective about the information they can get there, then obviously yes,” Chepa told the outlet Lenta.ru. “They can see the destruction that took place and draw the appropriate conclusions.”

Elements of six Ukrainian brigades invaded Kursk Region in the morning of August 6, taking over several border villages. Moscow has introduced a state of emergency and launched a counter-terrorist operation in the region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy.

Ukrainian troops interviewed by Western outlets have admitted that the goal of the incursion was to capture some territory that could be traded with Russia in possible peace talks and to relieve pressure on the Donbass front. Moscow has since ruled out any negotiations with Kiev, while Russian troops have accelerated their advance.