Camilla Jessen
President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Russia claimed to have retaken the region.
Vladimir Putin has made his first visit to the Kursk region since Russia claimed it had recaptured the area following a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year — the first ground invasion of Russian territory by foreign troops since World War II.
According to Russian state media, as cited by CNN, Putin traveled to the city of Kurchatov and toured the Kursk nuclear power plant, which remains under construction.
Video shared by Kremlin-affiliated outlets showed the Russian president speaking with municipal leaders and volunteers while dressed in a formal suit.
Border Tensions Still Simmer
Despite Moscow’s claims of having fully reclaimed Kursk, Putin admitted during the visit that Ukrainian forces are still attempting to move toward the Russian border, according to state agency RIA Novosti.
He also announced an increase in demining units in the region to facilitate the return of displaced residents.
A video released by the Kremlin suggests the visit took place on Tuesday, though the trip was not publicly disclosed until Wednesday.
Last August, Ukrainian forces launched a rapid and unexpected incursion into Kursk, capturing territory in an unprecedented move that stunned Russian command. It was the first time since the Second World War that a foreign military had taken ground inside Russia.
In the months since, Russia — reportedly with the help of North Korean soldiers — has been fighting to expel Ukrainian troops from its borderlands.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, insists that Ukrainian forces remain active in the region and that the incursion was aimed at gaining leverage in potential peace negotiations.
“We are continuing our active operations in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are proactively defending Ukraine’s border areas,” Zelensky said last week.
Ceasefire Talks Remain Unresolved
Putin’s visit to Kursk followed a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, in which he refused to commit to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington and Kyiv.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov later told reporters that while Russia is open to discussing “a possible ceasefire for a certain period,” no firm timeline was agreed upon.
Sanctions and Drone Attacks Escalate
While ceasefire discussions stall, international pressure on Russia continues to mount.
On Wednesday, the European Union imposed new sanctions targeting nearly 200 vessels in what it calls Russia’s “shadow fleet” — tankers accused of transporting oil to bypass Western embargoes.
Meanwhile, drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine intensified overnight.
Ukraine claimed it had shot down 63 of 76 long-range drones launched by Russia, while Moscow asserted it had destroyed 159 Ukrainian attack drones targeting sites inside Russia.
