Russian forces have reportedly taken back control of Sudzha, the largest town in the Kursk region that Ukraine had previously occupied, according to Moscow. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that, during their offensive operations, the North military group liberated Sudzha, as well as Melovoy and Podol. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitoring group, also confirmed that Russian forces had captured Sudzha and advanced to the nearby settlement of southern Zaoleshenka.
While Sudzha is a small town with a pre-war population of about 5,000, its recapture holds significant symbolic value for Russia. It was one of the last major towns in the Kursk region still under Ukrainian control.
The development comes as US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday to discuss a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire along the entire frontline, a proposal that Ukraine has already agreed to.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed confidence that Russian forces would soon free all parts of the Kursk region still held by Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin, during a surprise visit to the area on Wednesday, reiterated the urgency of “completely liberating” the region. Speaking to military personnel in uniform, Putin emphasized the goal of achieving this as quickly as possible while minimizing casualties.
Putin’s visit to Kursk was his first since Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into the region last year. The recapture of Sudzha and the ongoing Russian advances mark a shift in control, with Russia aiming to strengthen its hold on the region and push further into Ukrainian territory.
