The Russian military announced today that all Ukrainian troops have been forced out of Russia’s Kursk region, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict. General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff for Russia’s Armed Forces, delivered the news to President Vladimir Putin during a video conference meeting.
“Today, the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces,” Gerasimov stated, according to reports from AFP.
However, Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm this claim. In their daily morning update, Ukraine’s General Staff asserted that their forces continue to hold back Russian troops in the Kursk sector, directly contradicting the Russian assertion of a complete withdrawal.
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President Putin, in a statement following Gerasimov’s report, congratulated Russian soldiers and commanders, declaring that Kyiv’s incursion had “completely failed.”
“The complete defeat of our enemy along Kursk’s border region creates the right conditions for further successes for our troops and in other important areas of the front,” Putin stated, signaling a potential shift in Russia’s military focus.
Ukraine launched a surprising offensive into the border Kursk region in August of the previous year, reportedly taking control of approximately 500 square miles of territory. This move was seen by some as an attempt to gain leverage in potential future ceasefire negotiations. However, throughout early 2025, Ukrainian forces gradually lost control of these gains.
According to AFP reports, Russian troops are now positioned at the border with Ukraine’s Sumy region, raising concerns about a potential increase in threats to that area.
In a notable revelation, General Gerasimov also confirmed that North Korean soldiers had participated in the fighting against Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. He stated that they engaged in “combat missions shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen during the repelling of the Ukrainian incursion” and demonstrated “high professionalism, showed fortitude, courage and heroism in battle.”
Previous reports from Ukraine, the U.S., and South Korea in the fall of last year suggested that North Korea had deployed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia, specifically to the Kursk region. While Moscow and Pyongyang had previously been vague about these claims, emphasizing their military cooperation’s adherence to international law, Gerasimov’s statement marks the first direct confirmation from a high-ranking Russian official.
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The news from the Kursk front coincides with a significant meeting in Vatican City between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two leaders met briefly on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica, agreeing to continue their discussions later in the day, according to Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also confirmed the meeting, describing it as “very productive.”
Prior to this meeting, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Putin on Friday, with President Trump stating that both sides were “very close to a deal” regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed this sentiment in an interview, saying that the Kremlin is “ready to reach a deal” with the U.S. on Ukraine, although he noted that some details still needed to be “fine tuned.”
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy issued a statement on Friday night emphasizing the need for an unconditional ceasefire and hinting at potentially “very significant meetings” in the coming days. He stressed the importance of “real pressure on Russia” to accept proposals for a ceasefire and move towards a “dignified peace and security guarantees.”
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