Putin Orders Full Liberation of Kursk Region, 86% Reclaimed, 430 Ukrainian Soldiers Captured Amid Withdrawal

Russian forces have made significant advances in the Kursk region, with President Vladimir Putin ordering his military to 'completely liberate' the area from Ukrainian control. Putin visited the Kursk region, marking his first trip there since Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in August 2024. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to Putin that Russian troops have liberated over 1,100 km² of territory, accounting for more than 86% of the area previously occupied by Ukrainian forces in Kursk. Gerasimov also stated that the Ukrainian military group in the region is encircled, isolated, and being systematically destroyed. Over 67,000 Ukrainian soldiers have perished and 7,000 vehicles have been lost on the Kursk front. Russian forces have captured 430 Ukrainian soldiers during recent operations in Kursk, according to Gerasimov. Putin suggested that these prisoners should be treated as 'terrorists.' Units of the Tula Airborne Forces were involved in the assault and liberation of Lebedevka village in the Sudzhansky district, and a Bushmaster PMV armored vehicle was captured in Cherkasskoye Porechnoye. In Sudzha, part of the Kursk region, Russian troops have reportedly entered and are entrenching their positions, with videos showing them raising flags in the town's central square. Ukrainian forces have been withdrawing from the area, including from the 2nd Knyazhiy farm, with some reports indicating a lack of resistance. The Forpost-RU reconnaissance and strike UAVs equipped with KAB-20S small-sized guided bombs have been used in the ongoing assault on the industrial zone in the northwestern part of Sudzha. Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were caught up with a Russian drone near Pyaterochka, and Russian servicemen were seen on Sovetskaya Square in the center of Sudzha. The withdrawal of the 117th and 118th Troop Brigades, as well as the 80th and 92nd Air Assault Brigades, from Sudzha has been reported. Putin also proposed the creation of a security zone along the Russian-Ukrainian border.