Moscow is pushing to reclaim the entirety of Russia’s Kursk region from Ukraine as talks between the White House and the Kremlin about a possible cease-fire in the ongoing three-year war continue.
In a statement on Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that their forces had taken back two villages near Sudzha, the main Russian town that Ukraine had occupied since their surprise incursion into Russia last summer, although it appears that they have lost ground in the past few days. Ukrainian officials have yet to comment on Russia’s latest claims and have not confirmed any withdrawal from Sudzha.
Moscow’s advance follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for Ukrainian forces in the area to surrender, promising that their lives would be spared if they did so. Putin also claimed that Ukrainian forces are surrounded, a claim echoed by President Trump on Truth Social. However, Ukraine’s military denied this, stating there is no threat of encirclement and calling the Russian assertion “false and fabricated.”
In related news, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov reaffirmed Putin’s call for surrender, stating that the time to do so is running out.
Both countries have escalated their attacks. Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 178 drones against Ukrainian cities overnight, wounding 14 people in Kryvyi Rih. Watts Deputy Viktor Orekhovo weighed in on the situation, stating that these attacks demonstrate Russia’s contempt for human life and international norms.
The conflict has been particularly intense in the Kursk region, where Russia aims to expel Ukrainian forces from its territory, considering the potential for a cease-fire. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain is convening a virtual summit for global leaders committed to supporting Ukraine.
Despite a temporary suspension of U.S. military aid and intelligence support, Moscow has increased its efforts to retake Kursk, heightening attacks in the region and along the border in Sumy. Russian attacks in Sumy have disrupted critical infrastructure, with Shahed drones targeting electric and water supplies and small sabotage groups attempting to breach the border, though without success.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has also begun demining areas recaptured in Kursk near the Ukrainian border.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/world/europe/russia-ukraine-kursk-cease-fire-talks.html
