Gornal, the last village in Kursk currently under the control of the Ukrainians, was the subject of the statement made by Russia’s military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov in a video conference with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
According to Putin, “The Kyiv regime’s adventure has completely failed.”
The Ukrainian military immediately refuted the claim, claiming that its soldiers are still stationed in some Kursk areas.
The chief of staff for Ukraine, according to a post on Telegram, “statements made by the enemy leadership about the “destroyed” of the Ukrainian troops are nothing more than propaganda tricks.”
He acknowledged, however, that it is “difficult” for Ukraine to defend its position on the battlefield in the region, where Russian forces have consistently gained in recent months.
Kyiv has vowed to use its hold on Kursk’s land to fuel future peace negotiations with Russia, which has seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since Putin’s February 2022 order to launch a full-scale invasion.
Moscow applauds the “heroism” of the North Korean forces.
Gerasimov also paid tribute to North Korean troops engaged in combat with Russians, marking Moscow’s first official recognition of their involvement in the conflict.
He praised the “heroism” of the Kursk-based North Korean soldiers, claiming that they had “significantly assisted in the defeat of the group of Ukrainian armed forces.”
More than 10,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia last year, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies.
Numerous North Korean soldiers fighting in the area have been captured and interrogated by Ukraine, according to its claim.
On the day of Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed efforts to reach a “full and unconditional ceasefire” with US President Donald Trump.
Putin is also willing to “resume negotiations with Ukraine without any prerequisites,” according to the Kremlin on Saturday.
