Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in military fatigues as he visited soldiers on Wednesday in the Kursk region, which Russia is currently retaking from Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine seized the Kursk region of Russia in August, marking a surprise counteroffensive that could have given Ukraine a bargaining chip in negotiations, according to a report from Reuters.
Yet Ukraine has progressively lost control of the area over the past seven months, having its main supply lines severed in the last week.
Ukraine therefore had to surrender control of the town of Sudzha as forces fell back.
Russia has regained 86% of the territory in Kursk that was taken by Ukraine, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, told Putin during the visit.
That’s the equivalent of 425 square miles of land.
Russia has retaken 24 settlements in the last five days.
They have also freed 400 prisoners.
Reuters was able to confirm footage of Russian soldiers standing with their flag in a square in the center of Sudzha.
Will Trump end this war?
A video of Putin wearing military camouflage circulated around the internet after the Russian military’s gains.
Rare military Putin, meeting with Gerasimov at Kursk oblast HQ pic.twitter.com/WoGYzqxfTe
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) March 12, 2025
Putin now intends to secure a buffer zone in the Sumy region of Ukraine, preventing the country from retaking more Russian territory.
He also said that Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk would be considered “terrorists,” while foreigners fighting for Ukraine and captured by Russia would not enjoy Geneva Convention protections.
“Our task in the near future, in the shortest possible timeframe, is to decisively defeat the enemy entrenched in the Kursk region and still fighting here, to completely liberate the territory of the Kursk region, and to restore the situation along the line of the state border,” Putin said, per Reuters.
Putin also said the plans Ukraine had to use Kursk as a bargaining chip were unsuccessful.
The Russian advance back into the Kursk region indeed comes as President Donald Trump negotiates peace between Russia and Ukraine as the war surpasses three years in duration.
Putin said that he agrees with having a ceasefire after Ukraine and the United States agreed on a 30-day pause in fighting, according to a report from the BBC.
But Putin added that “there are questions that we need to discuss,” per the British news outlet.
He said that the agreement should create “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis.”
“We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners,” Putin remarked. “Maybe I’ll have a call with Donald Trump.”
“It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire,” he added. “We are in favour of it, but there are nuances.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meanwhile said that Putin “is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
