Russia's recapture of Kursk; a shift in the balance on the battlefield and at the negotiating table

According to Ashura News, citing Mehr News Agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recapture of the Kursk region on Saturday (April 26) and congratulated all Russian military forces and commanders on the "complete liberation of the Kursk region." He said: "The complete defeat of the enemy in the Kursk border region creates the conditions for further successful actions of the Russian armed forces in other key areas of the front. The liberation of the Kursk region brings the defeat of the Ukrainian government closer."

At the same time, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, announced in a report to the President of the country about the liberation of Kursk: "More than 76,000 soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces were killed and wounded in the Kursk region. 19 towns in the Kursk region were thoroughly examined and cleared of mines."

He announced for the first time the presence of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine, adding: "The North Korean army acted side by side with the Russian army in the Kursk region and showed courage and valor." This is while Ukraine has denied Russian officials' statements that Kursk has been completely liberated, claiming that about 30 square kilometers of the Kursk region are still under the control of Ukrainian forces and that fighting is ongoing.

It should be noted that in August 2024, Ukrainian forces crossed the border and captured the Kursk region in western Russia. At the height of the operation, Ukraine controlled about 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory and more than 80 towns, including Sudzha. Since September 2024, Russia has been trying to recapture the captured areas by carrying out numerous operations, including Operation Potok. Finally, in April 2025, Russia announced that it had liberated the last town under Ukrainian control, Gornal.