MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to coordinate the provision of assistance to civilians who have suffered from the Ukrainian Armed Forces' provocation in the Kursk region.
"Following my conversation with the acting Kursk region governor [Alexei Smirnov], instructions have been issued to a number of civilian agencies to provide the necessary assistance to the region's residents. I also ask the government to address this without delay," Putin said at a meeting with government ministers on Wednesday.
Putin tasked Manturov with coordinating these efforts at the initial stage.