Russia’s President Vladimir Putin declared on Saturday that Russian troops had “fully regained control” of the Kursk border region following a protracted battle to dislodge the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), according to Russian media.
The announcement came hours after Ukraine’s military insisted its troops remained active in the area, with Kyiv yet to formally respond to the claim.
Putin framed the recapture as a decisive blow to Ukraine’s August 2023 incursion, when the AFU seized territory in the Kursk region in a surprise ground offensive—the first foreign incursion into Russian soil since World War II.
The Kyiv regime’s gamble has completely failed.
The Russian leader also revealed, for the first time, that North Korean soldiers participated in the campaign to recapture the Kursk region under a bilateral “comprehensive strategic partnership.” Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reportedly briefed Putin on the “significant assistance” provided by North Korean troops, underscoring deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
I would like to separately note the participation of servicemen of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the liberation of the border districts of the Kursk region, who, in accordance with the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between our countries, provided significant assistance in defeating the encroached grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The timing of Putin’s announcement amplifies pressure on Kyiv, which had viewed Kursk as a potential bargaining chip in future peace talks. A Ukrainian retreat could weaken President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leverage amid stalled Western aid and faltering morale.
Hours earlier, Zelensky held what the White House termed “productive” talks with US President Donald Trump during Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, though details remain scarce.
The Kursk conflict had previously diverted Ukrainian resources from the embattled eastern front, where Russian advances intensified. Putin asserted the Kursk victory “creates conditions for further successful actions” elsewhere, signalling a potential pivot to consolidate gains.
