There is no encirclement of Ukrainian military personnel in Kursk region, however, the Russian Federation wants to encircle Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers on Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"There is no encirclement of Ukrainian military personnel on the territory of Kursk region ... I believe that it is the Russian side that wants to encircle Ukrainian military personnel in the same direction, but on the territory of Ukraine," Zelenskyy told journalists during a briefing on Saturday.

According to him, Ukrainian troops "know this, the command knows this and we clearly understand this."

Zelenskyy noted that Russia is doing this because it wants its maximum presence on Ukrainian territory and "there is nothing new here."