Russia Recaptures 64% of Kursk Territory: Is Ukrainian Control Coming to an End?

A senior Russian military official announced on Thursday that the Russian army had regained control of 64% of the territory seized by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, following Kyiv’s surprise attack on the border area last year, according to The Moscow Times.

Sergey Rudskoy, First Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff, told the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda: “More than 800 square kilometers have been liberated, which accounts for approximately 64% of the land initially occupied by Ukrainian forces.”

Ukraine Still Present in Kursk

According to Rudskoy, Ukrainian forces still control more than 400 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region. However, Ukrainian officials report different figures.

Last week, Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Ukrainian forces controlled about 500 square kilometers of Kursk territory, considering this area a crucial bargaining chip in any negotiations to end the war.

In another development, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Wednesday that Russian forces had crossed the border into Ukraine overnight. Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that the attack was launched from the Kursk region.

However, Ukraine has completely denied these claims, asserting that there has been no Russian advancement into its territory.

Rudskoy, for his part, stated that Russia has full strategic control in Kursk, adding: “Currently, the initiative in the Kursk region is entirely in our favor, and Russian forces are advancing on all fronts.”

Extensive Russian Control

Regarding other battlefronts, Rudskoy noted that Russian forces now control approximately 75% of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, while Kyiv retains control over less than 1% of the eastern Luhansk region.

It is worth noting that Moscow declared the annexation of these four regions in September 2022, despite not having full control over them at the time.

Rudskoy further stated that the Russian army had seized around 4,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2024, describing this year as one of strategic breakthroughs for Moscow.

He added: “The Kyiv regime is no longer capable of making any significant changes to the balance of power on the battlefield.”

Statements from Moscow and Kyiv reveal a stark contrast in assessing the situation on the ground: while Russia claims to be making territorial gains, Ukraine maintains that it continues to hold strategic areas.