Putin ally admits Russia will fail to retake Kursk this year
A close associate of Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Russia will not be able to expel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region by the end of the year.
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, stated that all goals set for this year had been achieved, despite Ukrainian troops still controlling parts of the Russian border region.
Last summer, Moscow was caught off guard when several thousand Ukrainian troops crossed the border and advanced into the region.
Despite support from North Korean troops, Russia has been unable to dislodge the remaining Ukrainian forces. On Ukraine’s eastern front, however, Russian forces have regained some territory.
In nearly three years of conflict, the Russian military has reportedly lost over 700,000 soldiers, according to estimates from Kyiv. These figures have not been independently verified.
(QG - Source: Newsweek / Picture: © Unsplash)