Putin makes surprise visit to Russia’s Kursk region as Defence Ministry claims recapture of Sudzha

Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Russia’s western Kursk region on Wednesday, as Russian forces continued their counteroffensive to dislodge the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), which have controlled a small area of the region since launching a cross-border incursion into Russian territory in August.

Putin’s visit came amid rumours of a full Ukrainian military withdrawal from the region in the coming days, and as Russian forces finally entered Sudzha, the main town under Ukrainian control. Russia’s Defence Ministry announced that it had recaptured the town on Thursday.

Dressed in military fatigues, Putin was seen visiting a command post near the front line in footage released by the Kremlin on Wednesday. Putin was accompanied by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, who said that Russia had so far recaptured 24 villages and 259 square kilometres of Russian territory in offensive operations over the past five days, adding that Russia was now in control of over 86% of the area occupied by Ukraine.

Gerasimov told Putin that Ukraine’s plan to use its foothold in Kursk as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations with the Kremlin, as well as a means of drawing Russian troops from the frontline in eastern Ukraine, had “completely failed”.

Russian forces have taken some 430 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner, according to Gerasimov, who added that the AFU troops began actively surrendering when they “realised the futility of further resistance”.

Ukrainian troops captured on Russian territory would be treated as “terrorists”, Putin said, stressing that, while Russia would ensure the “humane” treatment of all prisoners, “foreign mercenaries” fighting for the AFU would not fall under the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Putin said that Russia’s objective was now to “decisively defeat” AFU forces in the region as soon as possible, as well as to “fully liberate” the territory to restore control of the border with Ukraine.