Russia says has taken back major chunk of Kursk region from Ukrainian forces

20/2/2025 16:19

Russian forces have taken back more than 800 square km of territory from Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, or about 64% of the total taken by Ukraine since an incursion began last year, a top Russian general said.



Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, head of the General Staff's main operational directorate, told a newspaper that Russia was advancing in all directions and Ukraine had been pushed into a defensive stance since February 2024 amid a major Russian offensive that took back considerable territory.



Rudskoi said Russia now controlled 75% of Ukraine's Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and more than 99% of the Luhansk region. He said the four regions are now legally part of Russia and will never be returned to Ukraine.



Rudskoi said the future of the conflict no longer depended on Ukraine but on whether or not the West would agree to craft a new European security architecture which took into account Russia's interests.