Russia summons U.S. diplomat over American journalists' coverage in Kursk region
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in Stephanie Holmes, the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, to express a formal protest regarding the activities of American journalists in the Kursk region, where heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces has been ongoing since August 6th. The Ministry described the journalists’ actions as provocative and purely propagandistic.
The Russian government made it explicitly clear that all foreign "specialists" and mercenaries illegally crossing into Russian territory are deemed legitimate military targets by the Russian Armed Forces. From August 10th, the regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk have been under a counterterrorism operation regime. On August 6th, Ukrainian troops entered the Kursk region. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported on August 19th that Ukrainian forces control over 1,250 square kilometers and 92 settlements in the Russian region.
On August 17th, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had launched a criminal case for illegal border crossing against Italian RAI journalists Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini. They had recently published a video report from Sudzha. Additionally, it was made known that the FSB is also investigating a report from Sudzha by CNN correspondent Nick Walsh. On August 18th, The Washington Post released its own report from Sudzha. Reporters Siobhán O’Grady and Tatiana Buryanova, accompanied by photographer Ed Ram and Ukrainian military personnel, visited the city, interviewed locals, and published imagery from the area. Russian law enforcement has initiated inquiries into the activities of these journalists.