The Russian army has fully liberated the border Kursk region from Ukrainian control, Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia, which has seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since its offensive began in 2022."Today, the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces," Gerasimov said during a video conference meeting with Putin."The Kyiv regime's adventure has completely failed," Putin told Gerasimov, thanking the soldiers for the service and saying that Kursk's liberation will create the conditions for further advances at other parts of the front.Russian troops are now at the border and are poised to beef up threats to the Ukrainian region of Sumy, which faces Kursk, where Moscow has already carried out incursions in recent weeks.Gerasimov especially hailed the "heroism" of the North Korean soldiers taking part in the operation, who "provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces".According to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, more than 10,000 soldiers from North Korea were sent to Russia last year to help Moscow fight Ukraine's shock offensive in Kursk.A Message from The Moscow Times:Dear readers,We are facing unprecedented challenges.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution.
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia.
The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced.
But to continue our work, we need your help.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference.
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2.
It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression.
Thank you for standing with us.Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later.Remind me next monthThank you! Your reminder is set.We will send you one reminder email a month from now.
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.