Putin Visits Command Post as Russian Forces Push Ukrainian Troops from Kursk
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a command post in Kursk on Wednesday as his forces neared the complete removal of Ukrainian troops from Russian territory.
Dressed in olive-green military fatigues, Putin received a briefing from Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s chief of general staff, who asserted that Kyiv had failed in its strategy to hold the region as leverage in potential peace negotiations.
“I expect that all combat objectives assigned to our units will be achieved, and the Kursk region will soon be entirely free from the enemy,” Putin stated in a televised address.
His visit coincided with Moscow’s apparent recapture of Sudzha, a key town that had served as the primary base for an estimated 10,000-strong Ukrainian force maintaining a bridgehead inside Russia.
Putin was reportedly reluctant to accept a ceasefire proposed by Donald Trump, given the Russian military’s significant advances, particularly in the Kursk region.
Footage shared by Russian state media showed soldiers in military uniforms standing atop a water tower in the center of Sudzha, following a swift offensive that drove Ukrainian troops from the town.
Ukraine had become the first foreign military to invade Russian territory since World War II last summer, aiming to shift battlefield momentum. The longer Kyiv’s forces held their position, the more it became a bargaining tool for President Volodymyr Zelensky in future peace discussions.
Although Putin had vowed to reclaim the territory within weeks, Ukrainian forces managed to hold out for seven months.
Gen. Gerasimov reported to Putin that Russian troops had recaptured 1,100 of the 1,300 square kilometers seized by Ukraine. He also claimed that nearly 70,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed or wounded in the operation, with Russia taking 430 Ukrainian soldiers captive.
Putin declared that captured Ukrainian fighters should be “treated as terrorists under Russian law,” implying they could face lengthy prison sentences in Russian courts.
As Moscow intensified its offensive on the Ukrainian-held salient, reports indicated that Ukraine had begun withdrawing some of its most seasoned units from Russian territory. The Ukrainian military also suggested on Wednesday that certain troops were retreating in the region.
The Kremlin has deployed North Korean troops as part of its effort to expel Ukrainian forces.
“There will be no Ukrainian soldiers left there by Friday,” wrote Skadovskyi Defender, a Ukrainian military blogger, on Telegram.
However, President Zelensky urged caution, warning against falling for “intense information pressure” from Moscow.
“Russia is clearly attempting to exert maximum pressure on our troops,” Zelensky stated during a press conference in Kyiv. “The military command is acting as it should, prioritizing the preservation of our soldiers’ lives.”
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top general, confirmed that heavy fighting continued in Kursk, particularly in the outskirts of Sudzha and surrounding areas.
“The enemy, desperate to achieve its political goals, has suffered and continues to suffer heavy losses in Kursk,” Syrskyi said.
He emphasized that safeguarding Ukrainian soldiers was his top priority. “Our forces maneuver to more advantageous positions when necessary, utilizing drones and artillery strikes,” he explained. “Despite escalating pressure from the Russian-North Korean coalition, we will defend Kursk as long as it remains necessary.”
Syrskyi further claimed that Russia had lost 55,000 troops in Kursk, including 22,000 killed in combat.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian MP Roman Kostenko insisted that Ukrainian forces had not fully withdrawn from Sudzha.
“This morning, I spoke with troops on the ground, and they did not confirm a complete retreat from Sudzha,” Kostenko stated.
With Russian forces gaining ground, Putin was reportedly undecided about a proposed 30-day ceasefire put forth by Ukraine and the U.S.
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