Putin Declares Ukrainian POWs Should Be Treated as Terrorists During First Visit to Kursk

Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited a command post in the Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine launched operations in the area. During the visit, he declared that Ukrainian prisoners of war captured in the region would be treated as terrorists under Russian law, according to Russian state media.

Putin claimed that Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the area were committing “crimes against civilians” and resisting Russian forces, justifying their classification as terrorists.

“We must, first and foremost, treat these people as terrorists in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation,” Putin declared, referencing an earlier remark by Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov about captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukraine and international human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Russia of violating the Geneva Conventions by mistreating prisoners of war. Russia has a documented history of torture, forced confessions, and executions of Ukrainian soldiers in captivity.

Previously, it was reported that active combat is ongoing in the Kursk operational zone, particularly in the outskirts of Sudzha and surrounding areas, as Russian forces attempt to breach Ukrainian defenses and push the fighting into Sumy and Kharkiv regions.