Kiev, Ukraine (AP) – All Ukrainian troops have been forced from Russia’s Kursk region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Valerie Gerasimov, the Russian military’s general staff chief, gave Russian President Vladimir Putin the news at a meeting on Saturday, Peskov told Russian news outlet Interfax.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the allegations.
In a statement, Putin congratulated Russian soldiers and commanders, saying that Kiev’s invasion was “a total failure.”
“The complete defeat of the enemy along the border area of Kursk creates the right conditions for further success in the military and other important areas,” he said.
The Ukrainian forces attacked across the border in August 2024, surprising Russia by managing an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land. The country’s leaders believed that capture of Russia’s territory might help negotiate future peace, but their interests were slowly eroded and Ukrainian forces continued to lose control of the territory throughout the early 2025.
Gerasimov also confirmed on Saturday that North Korean soldiers fought Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region. Gerasimov said he “followed himself in combat missions alongside Russian soldiers during the repelling of the Ukrainian invasion,” and said he “submitted high professionalism and demonstrated abuse, courage and heroism in the battle.”
The news comes as US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelenkie discussed potential deals for the ceasefire as they met on the sidelines of the Pope’s funeral in Vatican City.
The president met for about 15 minutes at St. Peter’s Cathedral and agreed to continue negotiations later on Saturday, Ukrainian president spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said. White House Communications Director Stephen Chan also confirmed the meeting.
Shortly after his arrival in Rome last Friday, Trump said on social media that Ukraine and Russia should meet for “a very high level of consultation” to end the three-year war caused by Russian invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkov, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying that both sides were “very close to the deal.”
Local officials said the three were killed overnight in Russian attacks across Ukraine.
Two people have been killed in a strike in the town of Yaroba in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, local Governor Vadim Firashkin said in a social media post. Another person died in the Dnipropetrovsk area, according to Gov Serhiy Lysak. Six people were injured, including an 88-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl, he said.
Russia fired three missiles and 114 drones overnight on Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force wrote in a statement on Saturday. Sixteen drones were destroyed, and another 31 decoid drones were unable to reach their destination.
Meanwhile, Russia’s air defense fired down 45 Ukrainian drones overnight, the country’s defense ministry said.
