In view of his troops’ successful counterattack in the Russian-Ukrainian border area, President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly visited the command post in the war zone Kursk.
Putin ordered Russian troops to expel the remaining Ukrainian troops from Kursk, the Russian State News Agency reported on Wednesday.
Photos of meeting with Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov show Putin wearing a disguised uniform. The exact location is not disclosed.
Tas said this was the first time the Russian president visited this part of the front.
In August 2024, Ukrainian troops unexpectedly invaded Russia, thus shifting the war to enemy territory for the first time.
After the Ukrainians were able to hold this bridgehead for a long time, under pressure from Russia, they had to retreat faster in recent days.
According to Moscow, Russian troops seized the regional capital Sudzha on Wednesday, the backbone of Ukraine’s seven-month advance. However, the area has not been completely cleared.
The chief of staff explained that Ukrainian leaders have used the region as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Russia.
In addition, seven months of progress aims to tie up Russian troops. “But these intentions of the enemy have completely failed,” said Gerasimov.
Gerasimov reported that 430 Ukrainian soldiers were allegedly captured near Kursk.
Ukraine has defended the Russian invasion for more than three years.
