Putin advances in Kursk during a rare visit and promises to immediately fully free the region from the Ukrainian army.
With Moscow getting even further, and military bloggers on both sides say Kiev’s troops are withdrawing, Ukrainian troops appear at the point where they struggle to lose their desired footing within the Kursk region of Russia.
Ukraine blew away one of the biggest shocks of the war by storming across the border on August 6 last year, seizing territory within Russia, boosting civilian morale and obtaining potential negotiation tips.
But after clinging to a region that has gradually been shrinking for over seven months, Ukraine has seen the position deteriorate sharply over the past week.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the capture of five more villages on Wednesday, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying “dynamics are good.”
A video published by Russian bloggers and state media showed an army standing with the Russian Trikolla flag in a square in the heart of Sudasukha, a town near the Ukrainian border on the expressway used by Ukraine as a supply route.
On his first visit since Ukraine attacked the shock, Russian President Vladimir Putin dressed in an army camouflage, welcoming recent profits and urged his troops.
“We rely on the fact that all combat tasks our units face will be met, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be fully freed from the enemy,” he said.
Minutes after Putin’s remarks aired on television in Russian provinces, the Ukrainian army commander suggested that his troops were pulling back to minimize losses.
“In the most difficult situations, my priority is to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and still exists. To this end, Defense Forces forces will pilot them in a more advantageous position if necessary,” Commander Oleksandr Silsky said in a Facebook post in the language normally used to describe the withdrawal.
However, he added: “Despite increasing pressure from Russia/North Korean forces, we will maintain our defenses in the Kursk region as long as they are appropriate and necessary.”
According to Syrskii, an aggressive battle continued in and around the town of Sudzha.
Russia’s advance on the battlefield is a plan supported by Kiev, as the United States says it wants Russia to “unconditionally” agree to a full 30-day ceasefire.
The Kremlin said it is investigating a US ceasefire proposal, but Putin has previously said he has not been interested in a temporary ceasefire and would rather have a halt.
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