Kursk Region fully liberated from Ukrainians – Putin
Kiev’s gamble to invade Russia has ended up in an unmitigated disaster, the president has said
The Russian military has completely liberated the border Kursk Region from Ukrainian forces, President Vladimir Putin has said after being briefed on the battlefield situation by General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov.
In a video address shared by the Kremlin on Saturday, Putin thanked Russian service members “who took part in defeating the neo-Nazi groups” that invaded the region last summer.
“The Kiev regime’s adventure has completely failed, and the huge losses suffered by the enemy, including among the most combat-ready, trained and equipped, including by Western models of equipment… will certainly be reflected along the entire line of combat contact,” he said.
According to Putin, the Russian success sets the stage for further advances in other areas of the front, bringing final victory in the conflict closer.
The Russian president praised several units that took active part in first stalling the Ukrainian incursion and then pushing the enemy forces back. He particularly lauded volunteers from the 11th Airborne Assault Brigade, 30th Rifle Regiment and the Akhmat Special Forces unit who infiltrated deep into Kiev-controlled territory via an underground pipeline near the town of Sudzha.
The daring operation led to a complete crumbling of Ukrainian defenses. According to Gerasimov, total Ukrainian losses during the Kursk incursion amounted to more than 76,000 servicemen killed and wounded, as well as more than 7,700 units of military equipment lost, including 412 tanks, and 340 infantry fighting vehicles, and 314 armored personnel carriers.
The chief of the General Staff went on to confirm that Russia’s military effort in Kursk Region was supported by North Korean troops, whose assistance was provided under the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed last year. Ukraine launched its incursion into Kursk Region last August, initially gaining some ground and capturing numerous settlements before their advance was checked by Russian forces.
Putin has characterized the incursion as an attempt by Kiev to divert attention from Moscow’s offensive in Donbass, adding that this ploy has failed. Ukrainian officials described the operation as a way to gain leverage in potential peace talks with Russia.
