This is the first time the Russian President has visited the Kursk Region since Ukraine suddenly attacked and occupied part of the region. He urged the Russian army to defeat the "enemy entrenched in the Kursk Region" and to do so as soon as possible.

“And of course, we also need to think about creating a security zone along the state border in the future,” he added. “I hope that the combat tasks facing our forces will certainly be completed and the Kursk Region will be completely liberated from the enemy in the near future.”

Russian forces have made significant progress in pushing back Ukrainian forces occupying the area, and have virtually established a siege, with Ukrainian troops “being constantly destroyed,” General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, told Putin during his visit.

“The Kursk battle group liberated 24 settlements and 259 square kilometers in the Kursk Region in just the past five days,” Gerasimov added. About 19 percent of Ukraine’s military losses were recorded in the Kursk region, as well as more than 40 percent of equipment losses, “if we count all losses over the past six months.”

"More than 1,100 square kilometers - that is, more than 86% of the territory initially occupied by the enemy - have been liberated during offensive operations. The enemy has lost more than 67,000 troops since the beginning of fighting in the Kursk region." As a result, the area occupied by the Ukrainian army has decreased by more than 2.5 times.

"The Russian armed forces continue to operate to destroy the Ukrainian army in the Kursk Region, with the goal of completing the liberation of this region and advancing to the Russian border as soon as possible."

Mr Putin was also briefed on the recent Russian military raid on a gas pipeline. According to General Gerasimov, more than 600 Russian servicemen were involved in the operation to sneak through the gas pipeline into the enemy defenses in the town of Sudzha.

"These actions surprised the enemy and forced him to retreat from the defense line, and contributed to our offensive in the Kursk Region," Gerasimov said.

Hoang Huy (according to TASS)