Ukrainian forces set up “buffer zone” in Kursk Oblast

Ukraine has established a "buffer zone" and plans to open humanitarian corridors in Kursk Oblast, announced Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets on social media.

On 6 August, Ukraine began its incursion of up to 1,000 soldiers into Russia's Kursk region, which caught the Russian military off guard. It is the first instance of a foreign army penetrating Russian territory since World War II.

To secure the rights of the civilian population, Ukraine intends to allow access for representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN, and other impartial international organizations to this newly established zone.

The country also plans to act according to all international conventions and humanitarian law. Top Ukrainian officials said at a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the Ukrainian military established the "buffer zone" to comply with these obligations.

The meeting also addressed security guarantees in the buffer zone, including adherence to international humanitarian law, the Hague Conventions of 1907, and the Geneva Conventions. Ukrainian forces are fully committed to these obligations.

Additionally, the meeting covered humanitarian organizations' access to operations within the zone, including delivering food, medicine, and other essentials to the civilian population.

Related:

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• Ukraine’s defense forces destroy Russian Su-34 in Kursk Oblast
• Kursk incursion: experts debate Ukraine’s objectives as Kyiv consolidates blitz gains
• Why Russia clings to gas lifeline amid Ukraine’s Kursk incursion