Putin visits Kursk region for first time since Ukrainian operation began
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (screenshot)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly visited the Kursk region. Relevant videos began circulating on social media on the evening of Wednesday, March 12.
The circulating videos allegedly show Putin stepping out of a car and meeting with Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. In the footage, Putin is seen wearing a military uniform.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Putin held a meeting at one of the command posts of the Kursk group of forces. During the meeting, Putin once again set the task of liberating the Kursk region and instructed officials to "carefully consider" the creation of a security zone along the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Kursk region operation
In August last year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched the Kursk operation for several strategic reasons. The goal was to weaken the enemy’s combat capabilities and force it to divert resources to defend its own territories.
By late summer, Ukrainian forces controlled 100 settlements in the region.
Recently, the media reported that the situation in the Kursk region has worsened. Specifically, it was claimed that Russian forces advanced northwest of Sudzha, from the Sverdlikovo area toward the Ukrainian border.
The Telegraph also reported on an alleged encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. According to the outlet, after the US halted intelligence-sharing, Ukrainian forces in the area were at risk of encirclement. This has made it difficult to predict attacks and coordinate defense.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian troops are carrying out their assigned tasks in the Kursk region. The military command continues to coordinate operations, focusing on saving the lives of personnel.
For more details on the situation in the Kursk region, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
