Russia Claims Recapture of Last Ukrainian-Held Village
Ukraine Denies, Raising New Variables in Future Negotiations
Trump: "Putin Does Not Seem Willing to End the War"
On the 26th (local time), Russia announced that it had recaptured the last village in the Kursk region of western Russia that was occupied by Ukraine. If this claim is true, it is expected to have a significant impact on peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, Ukraine has denied Russia's claim.
Valery V. Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day that "the Ukrainian forces that attacked the Kursk region have been completely defeated," and that the village of Gornal had been recaptured. The report was broadcast live on television. In contrast, the Ukrainian General Staff denied that its troops had completely withdrawn from the area, stating that military operations were still ongoing.
Russia announced on the 26th (local time) that it has recaptured the last village in the Kursk region of western Russia that was occupied by Ukraine. Yonhap News
Earlier, in mid-March, military analysts and soldiers stated that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from most of the Kursk region. At the peak of the Ukrainian offensive, the occupied area reached 148 square kilometers. However, by the end of February, two-thirds of the occupied territory had been lost, and by last month, it was estimated to have been reduced to 48 square kilometers.
Chief of Staff Gerasimov also stated that North Korean troops played a role in recapturing the Kursk region, marking the first time Russia has effectively acknowledged the participation of North Korean forces. South Korea, the United States, and Ukraine have previously reported the involvement of North Korean troops, but Russia had either denied or remained silent about these reports.
The complete recapture of Kursk by Russia is expected to become an important variable in future peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine initially planned to use its occupation of the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in negotiations, exchanging it for Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia. However, Russia rejected this and instead focused on recapturing the Kursk region, while simultaneously intensifying attacks on the weakened eastern Ukrainian defensive lines.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump held a roughly 15-minute conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome, Italy, on the same day. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in two months since the breakdown of their previous White House talks. President Trump stated at the meeting, "President Putin does not seem to have any intention of stopping the war," and condemned the recent missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine over the past few days.
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