The Russian president has listened to a report on military operations in the area

The Russian military must defeat the Ukrainian forces that invaded Kursk Region "as soon as possible," President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. He visited a command post in the region as Moscow's forces continue a major counteroffensive against Kiev's remaining troops in the area.

The president held a meeting with Russian military commanders during his visit and listened to a report by the Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov. Putin thanked the General Staff and the units fighting in the region for their efforts.

"Our goal is to inflict a defeat upon the enemy entrenched on the territory of Kursk Region on short notice," the president said, adding that Moscow would consider creating a "security zone" along the border with Ukraine as well. The Ukrainian units that invaded the region should be treated as "terrorists," he stated, including any Ukrainian fighter taken prisoner in the area.

According to Gerasimov, the Russian military has liberated 259 square kilometers of territory, encompassing 24 towns and villages, in the past five days. Kiev's forces in the area are largely "encircled" and "isolated," the top general reported.

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A video published by the Kremlin shows Putin wearing military fatigues and meeting Gerasimov in front of a building serving as a command post before going inside to meet other officers and commanders.

The Ukrainian military lost over 67,000 servicemen in their attempted incursion, Gerasimov said, adding that the Russian troops had liberated more than 1,100 square kilometers, or 86% of the area initially occupied by Kiev since the start of the counteroffensive last year.

The visit came just hours after media reports about the liberation of Sudzha - the biggest city held by the Ukrainians in Kursk Region. Some videos on social media appeared to show Russian troops raising a flag in the city center. According to some reports, the fighting is ongoing in the western and northwestern outskirts of Sudzha.

Earlier this week, the Russian military recaptured 12 settlements and over 100 square kilometers of land in a surprise attack that also allowed them to retake Sudzha's industrial zone. The operation had been in preparation for months and involved some 800 soldiers walking several miles through an empty gas pipeline to infiltrate Ukrainian positions.

Kiev launched a major offensive into the Kursk area in early August 2024, capturing Sudzha and dozens of villages. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said that the incursion across the internationally recognized border was an attempt to gain leverage for future peace talks.

The Ukrainian advance was quickly halted by the Russian military, which has been gradually reclaiming ground from the invading forces ever since.

(RT.com)