International

Putin visits Kursk as Russia claims gains against Ukraine

Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk region in western Russia for the first time since Ukrainian forces captured parts of the area, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing Reuters.

He was received by Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense.

Gerasimov reported to Putin that over the past five days, Russian troops had reclaimed 24 settlements in Kursk and regained control of more than 1,100 square kilometers of the region’s territory. According to the report, this represents 86% of the land previously occupied by Ukrainian forces.

"Our immediate objective is to decisively defeat the enemy conducting military operations in Kursk as quickly as possible. I expect all combat missions assigned to our units to be completed and for the Kursk region to be fully liberated from enemy presence soon," Putin stated, according to Kommersant.

Additionally, the Russian president declared that captured Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region should be treated as terrorists.

"Those in the Kursk region who commit crimes against civilians, who oppose our armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and special services, must undoubtedly be treated as terrorists," Putin stated, adding that Russia does not intend to extend the Geneva Conventions to foreign fighters supporting Ukraine.

More than 400 Ukrainian military personnel have been captured in the Kursk region, according to the General Staff.

The Ukrainian army has withdrawn from Sudzha in the Kursk region, which had been under Ukrainian Armed Forces control since August 2024, according to an analysis of video recordings conducted by Meduza. In recent days, Russian forces have also taken control of several other settlements in the Kursk region.

On March 12, the Russian news agency TASS and "war correspondents" published video footage of Russian soldiers in the center of Sudzha. Additionally, Ruslan Leviev, founder of the investigative project Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), reported on March 12 that Ukrainian military personnel were leaving the Kursk region. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has not commented on these reports, according to DW.

Meanwhile, Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Committee of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, asserts that there has been no full withdrawal of Ukrainian Armed Forces from Sudzha. He stated that there is evidence of Russian troops entering certain parts of the city, where fighting is ongoing, Meduza reports.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported heavy fighting on Tuesday, March 11, but did not provide detailed information about the situation in the Kursk region. The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, last commented on the situation on March 10, stating that there was no threat of Ukrainian units being encircled in the Kursk region. "Units are taking timely measures to maneuver into advantageous defensive positions," he noted in a Facebook post.

Prominent Ukrainian war correspondent Yuriy Butusov, currently near the combat zone in the Sumy region, confirmed in a conversation with DW on March 11 that movement along the roads previously used to supply Sudzha with provisions and ammunition from Ukraine has now become extremely dangerous. At the same time, he believes there is no imminent threat of complete encirclement of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. "The threat exists only in certain positions. I hope those on the ground understand the risk and can retreat in time," Butusov noted.

The correspondent also stated that the continued presence of Ukrainian units in the Kursk region is no longer viable. "The enemy has a significant numerical advantage and a strategically advantageous position. I don’t think staying there for a few extra days is worthwhile," Butusov asserted.

Sergiy Zgurets, director of the consulting company Defense Express, believes that retreating to Ukrainian territory would be the safest option in the current situation, considering logistical challenges and the significant numerical advantage of Russian forces. According to him, Russia has amassed a group of 60,000 troops along this section of the front.

On Tuesday, Russia announced that it had recaptured 12 settlements from the Ukrainian army in the Russian border region of Kursk, where Russian troops have reportedly made significant advances in recent days.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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