Amid a Russian counteroffensive, Ukraine has struggled to maintain its grip on recently captured territory. Villages and settlements in the region have gradually fallen back under Moscow’s control. This week, Russia announced it had reclaimed most of the lost ground, including the strategically important town of Sudzha—Kyiv’s most significant gain—along with hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare appearance at a military command post in Kursk, clad in camouflage. It marked his first visit to the region since Ukrainian forces briefly seized parts of it. Urging his troops to act swiftly, he called for Ukrainian forces to be expelled “in the shortest possible time,” according to Russian state media.
“I expect that all the objectives assigned to our units will be achieved and that the Kursk region will soon be completely freed from the enemy,” Putin stated.
He further declared that captured Ukrainian fighters would be treated as terrorists under Russian law.
Meanwhile, American envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Moscow this week to present a ceasefire proposal aimed at initiating a path to lasting peace. Ukraine has already accepted the terms, agreeing to the proposal on Tuesday.
Should Russia refuse to pause hostilities, U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to impose severe financial penalties as a retaliatory measure.
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