Putin informed about final stage of Kursk region liberation from Ukrainian troops

The command of the Sever (North) military group reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the operation to liberate the Kursk region from the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered its final stage.

Photo: Dmitry Plotnikov Pravda.Ru by Neuronetwork

Russian Army fighters

Putin Orders Final Defeat of AFU in the Kursk Region

On March 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited one of the command posts in the Kursk region. He ordered that the AFU in the region be decisively defeated as soon as possible and that a security zone be established. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov, reported that the Ukrainian military group in the Kursk region has been isolated and is undergoing "systematic destruction."

"Putin listened to reports from the commander of the 'North' group and his deputy, who briefed the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on the progress of the operation and its entry into the final stage of liberating the Kursk region from infiltrated militants," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 

86% of AFU-Occupied Territory in Kursk Region Liberated

According to Gerasimov, the Russian army has reclaimed approximately 1,100 square kilometers of territory, with 259 square kilometers liberated in the last five days. He reported to Putin that Ukraine's losses in the Kursk region exceed 68,000 personnel and more than 7,000 pieces of equipment.

Meanwhile, Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces and deputy head of the Main Directorate for Military-Political Work at the Ministry of Defense, estimated AFU losses at 70,000 troops. He outlined the objectives of the final phase of the operation: eliminating remaining resistance pockets, ensuring safe conditions for civilians, and providing necessary assistance to the population.

Russia Takes Full Control of Sudzha

The city of Sudzha, occupied by the AFU since the early days of their incursion into the Kursk region, has come under full Russian army control. Russian forces raised their national flag in the city center, and clearing operations are ongoing.

By noon on March 10, Russian paratroopers had broken through to Zazulevka. Simultaneously, special forces from Akhmat and the 44th Army Corps cleared forested areas near Martynovka and secured Ivashkovsky. By midday on March 11, Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the Sudzha agglomeration and began sweeping operations. AFU units retreated, abandoning heavy equipment due to destroyed bridges. By evening, nearly all settlements surrounding Sudzha were under Russian control.

Civilians Found in Liberated Areas

Following the operation, more than 100 people previously reported missing were found in Sudzha and other settlements in the Kursk region. However, Alaudinov reported that AFU forces fired on evacuation groups attempting to rescue civilians from Sudzha, calling the situation there "very difficult." Additionally, reports indicated that Ukrainian forces mined the city during their retreat.

Details

Sudzha (Russian: Суджа, [ˈsudʐə]) is a town and the administrative center of Sudzhansky District in Kursk Oblast, Russia, located on the Sudzha and Oleshnya rivers 105 kilometers (65 mi) southwest of Kursk, the administrative center of the oblast. It has a population of 5,127 people. It is the natural gas exchange feeder where the Trans-Siberian pipeline meets the Brotherhood pipeline. The town was occupied by Ukrainian forces between 15 August 2024 and 12 March 2025 as a result of an incursion into the region.