Putin calls for border security zone, urges full liberation of Kursk region

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday proposed establishing a security zone along Russia's state border and demanded the complete expulsion of enemy forces from the Kursk region during a visit to a military command center overseeing operations in the area.

The Russian president also noted that those enemy soldiers who were taken captive in the Kursk region "should be treated as terrorists in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation.

" According to Russian Chief of the General Staff, who reported to Putin during the visit, Russian troops have reclaimed over 1,100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region, representing more than 86 percent of the area previously occupied by opposing forces.