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MINSK, 14 August (BelTA) - By attacking Kursk Oblast of Russia, Ukraine has put the prospect of peace talks on a long pause, TASS quoted Ambassador-at-Large at the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik as saying.
"By its terrorist actions in the Kursk direction Ukraine has put the prospect of peace talks on a long pause," the diplomat said.
"Holding talks with the absolutely deranged opponent doesn’t make much sense at this point. This is what the [Russian] president said. So the question of who we are negotiating with remains an issue," he stressed.
"They are attacking with drones to incite fear among the public, sow confusion and discontent and try to provoke some turmoil in Russian society," the ambassador added.
The Ukrainian forces started a major attack the Kursk Oblast on 6 August. Shelling and drone strikes killed 12 civilians and injured 121 people, including ten children. 69 people have been admitted to hospitals, of them 17 are in serious condition. More than 120,000 people left the Kursk Oblast areas close to the Ukrainian border, or were evacuated.