SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 23. /TASS/. The Russian authorities will respond to the illegal intrusion of Western journalists into the Kursk Region, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Now our law enforcement agencies, and diplomats and experts who deal with this issue, are identifying the so-called Western journalists who crossed our country’s border without any authorization documents - neither visas nor residence permits, and certainly no accreditation from the Foreign Ministry," she pointed out.

"It’s not just Italian and American journalists who have been doing this. Unfortunately, journalists from other countries, including Spain, France and Belgium, have also been caught up in this. Now law enforcement agencies are gathering evidence, and appropriate decisions will be made," the diplomat emphasized, recalling that criminal cases have already been opened.

Zakharova underscored that through Russian diplomatic missions and embassies, information on the inadmissibility of such unlawful actions has repeatedly been brought to the attention of the Western media, as it is they who are predominantly breaking the rules. "[Such actions] will be suppressed and punished by law, we are engaged in this activity," the diplomat said.

In response to a clarifying question about whether the Western journalists who entered the Kursk Region would be denied entry into Russia in the future, Zakharova said things were a little more serious than that. "We are talking about criminal cases. This includes, among other things, a wanted notice, and if this is recognized by the court, there will be a court decision, there will be certain deadlines. So it's going to be a far more complex and serious situation for them than just stop lists and denial of entry. They need to understand that there will be criminal responsibility," the spokeswoman concluded.