General Claims Russia Regained Control of Two-Thirds of its Territory in Kursk From Ukraine
The ongoing ‘special military operation’ by Moscow in Ukraine will mark its third year early next week.
Russia has reclaimed over 300 square miles of territory in Kursk since Ukraine initiated a cross-border offensive into the Russian border region last summer, as stated by a senior Russian general.
Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, speaking to Russia’s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Feb. 20, mentioned that the recaptured territory represents 64 percent of the land initially taken by Ukraine in their cross-border offensive.
Kyiv has not yet responded to the general’s claims, which have not been independently verified by The Epoch Times.
Last August, Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border offensive into Kursk, which shares a lengthy border with Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.
Initially, Ukrainian troops captured several hundred square miles of Russian territory in Kursk, with the hope of using it as bargaining leverage in future cease-fire negotiations.
Despite strong Russian counterattacks, Ukrainian forces have managed to retain a significant—but declining—portion of Russian territory near the border.
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He mentioned that overnight, the “fighters of the 810th Brigade crossed into the enemy’s territory after crossing the border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.”
During a press briefing in St. Petersburg, Putin claimed that Russian forces were now “advancing along the entire line of contact.”
In 2022, Moscow invaded and effectively annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which it now considers to be part of the Russian Federation.
On Feb. 24, Russia’s ongoing invasion, termed a “special military operation” by Moscow, will reach its third year.
In recent statements to the media, Rudskoi supported Putin’s assertions by stating that Russian forces were advancing in all directions while Ukraine retreated to defensive positions.
Rudskoi, who leads the Russian General Staff’s main operational directorate, referred to last year as a turning point in accomplishing their objectives.
He additionally indicated that Ukraine had lost the capacity to manufacture necessary weapons, equipment, and ammunition.
As per Rudskoi, Russian forces now control majority of the Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and over 99 percent of Luhansk.
Reiterating Moscow’s official stance, he affirmed that all four regions are now part of the Russian Federation and will not be returned to Ukraine.
Reuters contributed to this report.
