Ukraine has the right to defend itself and thus conduct a military operation in Russia’s Kursk region, said Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, backed by Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal, at a press conference in Helsinki on Wednesday (August 14).

“Ukraine has the right to self-defence and it’s clear that they can do their operation in Kursk,” said Orpo. “We fully support Ukraine in different operations to liberate their country,” said Michal, at the joint press conference.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of August 6 into Russia’s western Kursk region.

Ukraine carved out a slice of Kursk and though President Vladimir Putin said the Russian army would push out the Ukrainian troops, intense battles have so far failed to expel them.

(Reuters)