All Ukrainian troops have been pressured out of Russia’s Kursk region, the Russian navy claims.
Valery. Gerasimov, Chief of the Basic Workers for Russia’s Armed Forces, gave the information to President Vladimir Putin in a gathering on Saturday.
“Right now, the final settlement within the Kursk area, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces,” Gerasimov mentioned throughout a video convention assembly with Putin, in keeping with AFP.
Ukrainian officers didn’t verify the declare. In its morning replace Saturday, Ukraine’s Basic Workers mentioned that its forces proceed to carry again Russian troops within the Kursk sector, pushing again towards Russian claims that Ukraine has been absolutely dislodged from the territory.
Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Picture by way of AP
In an announcement, Putin congratulated the Russian troopers and commanders and mentioned that Kyiv’s incursion had “utterly failed”.
“The entire defeat of our enemy alongside Kursk’s border area creates the appropriate circumstances for additional successes for our troops and in different necessary areas of the entrance,” he mentioned.
Ukraine launched an audacious offensive into the border Kursk region in August final yr, catching even its Western allies off guard and dealing an embarrassing blow to Moscow. It took management of an estimated 500 sq. miles of land. Ukraine had hoped that controlling the Russian territory would give it leverage throughout any future ceasefire talks. Nonetheless, their positive aspects had been slowly eroded and Ukrainian troops continued to lose management of the territory all through early 2025.
Now, Russian troops are on the border and are poised to beef up threats to the Ukrainian area of Sumy, which faces Kursk, AFP reported.
Gerasimov additionally confirmed Saturday that North Korean troopers fought towards Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk area. Gerasimov mentioned that they took half in “fight missions shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen through the repelling of the Ukrainian incursion” and “demonstrated excessive professionalism, confirmed fortitude, braveness and heroism in battle.”
Within the fall, Ukraine, the U.S. and South Korea all mentioned that North Korea, which beforehand had provided weapons to Moscow, had deployed 10,000-12,000 of its troops to Russia to battle in Kursk.
Moscow and Pyongyang till now had responded vaguely to the South Korean and Western claims of the troop deployment, emphasizing that their navy cooperation conforms with worldwide legislation, with out immediately admitting the presence of the North Korean forces in Russia.
The information out of Kursk got here as U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Vatican City on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral.
Ukraine Presidential Workplace handout 
The 2 presidents met at St. Peter’s Basilica for about quarter-hour and agreed to proceed negotiations in a while Saturday, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov mentioned.
White Home Communications Director Steven Cheung additionally confirmed the assembly and mentioned they “met privately right now and had a really productive dialogue.”
Quickly after the top of the pope’s funeral, Mr. Trump departed Italy for the U.S.
U.S. Center East Steve Witkoff met with Putin on Friday, and Mr. Trump mentioned either side had been “very near a deal.”
Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned in an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the Kremlin is “prepared to achieve a deal” with the U.S. on Ukraine, although he additionally mentioned some components have to be “positive tuned.”
“The President of the US believes, and I feel rightly so, that we’re shifting in the appropriate route,” Lavrov mentioned.
In the meantime, in an announcement Friday evening, Zelenskyy mentioned that “very vital conferences could happen” within the coming days, and that an unconditional ceasefire was wanted.
“Actual strain on Russia is required in order that they settle for both the American proposal to stop hearth and transfer in direction of peace, or our proposal — whichever one can actually work and guarantee a dependable, rapid, and unconditional ceasefire, after which — a dignified peace and safety ensures,” he mentioned.
