April 26, 2025
The Russian military has completely liberated the border Kursk Region from Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), President Vladimir Putin has said after being briefed on the battlefield situation by General Staff Chief, Army General Valery Gerasimov.
“The Kiev regime’s adventure has completely failed, and the huge losses suffered by the enemy, including among the most combat-ready, trained and equipped, including by Western models of equipment… will certainly be reflected along the entire line of combat contact,” he said.
According to Putin, the Russian success sets the stage for further advances
in other areas of the front, bringing final victory in the conflict closer.
The daring operation led to a complete crumbling of Ukrainian defenses. According to Gerasimov, total Ukrainian losses during the Kursk incursion amounted to more than 76,000 servicemen killed and wounded. It is more than total Ukrainian invasion force that invaded Donbass on February 17, 2022. During Russia’s counter-offensive in Kursk Region more than 7,700 units of military equipment, including 412 tanks, and 340 infantry fighting vehicles, and 314 APCs have been destroyed.
The Chief of the General Staff confirmed that Russia’s military effort in Kursk Region was supported by North Korean troops, whose assistance was provided under the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed last year between Russia and North Korea. "Soldiers and officers of the Korean People's Army, carrying out combat mission shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen, showed high professionalism during the repulse of the Ukrainian invasion, showed perseverance, courage and heroism in battle," Army General Gerasimov stressed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness for unconditional talks with Ukraine during a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The meeting took place at the Kremlin Palace on April 25. It lasted for nearly three hours. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and presidential investment CEO Kirill Dmitriev also took part in the meeting.
“The conversation allowed to further align Russian and US positions not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues,” Ushakov noted, without going into details.
The Russian Defense Ministry provided an update on the outcome of the Easter truce celebrated on April 20th: Ukraine has violated it around 4,900 times, launched some 3,300 short-range drones at Russian positions, conducted artillery strikes and staged six offensive operations. Earlier, the Russian president proposed, to discuss bilaterally with the Ukrainian side the issue of non-strikes against civilian targets, but Kiev refused.
