Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 12 reportedly made his first go to to Russia's Kursk Oblast since Ukraine's incursion into the area started in August 2024.
Putin, in a video launched by the Kremlin, reportedly met with navy management within the area whereas visiting an undisclosed command publish in Kursk Oblast.
The Kyiv Impartial can not independently confirm the small print or location of Putin's reported go to. The Ukrainian navy has not publicly commented on the claims.
The reported go to into the area comes amid a renewed Russian offensive within the area, with Russian troops reportedly having regained management of greater than 86% of the territory in Kursk Oblast captured by Kyiv.
Russian troops have entered Sudzha, a key Ukrainian-held stronghold within the Russian border area of Kursk.
Within the video, Putin is seen donning navy apparel for the primary time since Russia's full scale invasion started in February 2022 — as an alternative of the swimsuit that he sometimes wears for conferences with navy personnel. The selection in apparel mimics that of President Volodymyr Zelensky who has refused to put on a swimsuit all through the struggle — symbolizing Zelensky's wartime management.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated on March 10 that there isn’t a quick menace of encirclement as Ukrainian forces are repositioning to "favorable protection strains."
Syrskyi added on March 12 that Ukraine will maintain the protection in Kursk Oblast "so long as affordable and essential."
Ukraine launched the cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially seizing round 1,300 sq. kilometers (500 sq. miles) of Russian territory. Since then, Russian forces, bolstered by North Korean troops, have steadily pushed again in opposition to Ukrainian forces.
Over seven months of preventing in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russian losses have reached almost 54,900 personnel, with over 22,000 killed, Syrskyi claimed on March 12.
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk