Putin admits presence of Ukrainian Forces in Russia's Kursk region: What Kremlin leader says
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Ukrainian troops continue to defend the territory of Russia's Kursk region. The Russian army has been unable to push back the Ukrainian Armed Forces, despite all statements from Russian military leaders, states Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Russian media.
Speaking today at another propaganda event, Putin was forced to admit that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are still present in the Kursk region. He tried to downplay their presence in the region, insisting that the area had supposedly been "liberated" from Ukrainian troops.
"Yes, the enemy has been driven out of the Kursk region, but they are still hiding in some cracks, basements. We hear what they're saying — they're asking for evacuation," the Kremlin leader said.
He noted that he didn’t want to go into the details of the operation in the Kursk region. However, he claimed that only "isolated groups" of Ukrainians remained.
"Evacuation is impossible. These are isolated groups of 2-3 people, hiding somewhere in the woods, completely cut off. By the way, they are even being offered to surrender," Putin added.
Situation in the Kursk region
Recently, the Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, reported to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin about the "completion" of the operation to "liberate" the Kursk region. According to him, Russian forces allegedly occupied the last settlement in the region, the village of Gornal, near the border with Ukraine, on April 26.
Notably, this statement was made against the backdrop of the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces still control dozens of square kilometers in the region.
Putin himself later also announced the supposed "complete defeat of the enemy in the Kursk border area."
However, the very next day, the acting commander of the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade of the Russian Navy, with the Groza call sign, reported to Putin that groups of Ukrainian troops and individual soldiers were still present in the Kursk region.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized that the defensive operation of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region continues, while the Kremlin is "presenting the desired as the reality."
President Volodymyr Zelensky also stressed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue active defensive actions in the Kursk region.
