INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russias military stated Friday that its forces have actually recovered more than 60% of the territory inhabited by Ukraine in the
southwestern Kursk region.Following their surprise incursion in early August, Ukrainian soldiers took control of 1,268 square kilometers
(490 square miles) in the Kursk region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry
Since then, Russian forces have actually retaken 801 square kilometers (309 square miles), the ministry said in a statement.The DeepState
military blog, which has ties to the Ukrainian army, estimates that Kyiv still manages over 420 square kilometers (261 square kilometers) in
the region.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyivs Western allies have explained the occupied territory in the Kursk region as a
crucial bargaining chip in possible peace negotiations with Moscow.Russian President Vladimir Putin is apparently open to some area swaps
with Ukraine as part of prospective talks with incoming U.S
President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported this week, pointing out anonymous sources acquainted with Kremlin conversations
However, Putin is anticipated to demand guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO and will accept limits on its military
capabilities.Ukraines advances in the Kursk area have stalled amidst heavy Russian supports, including troops from its ally North Korea, and
it has started to lose ground
The offensive came as Russia continued to advance in eastern Ukraine, with the logistical center of Pokrovsk as a crucial target.More than
150,000 Kursk region homeowners were required to evacuate following the August incursion, with some displaced locals staging protests to
demand that Putin satisfy guarantees of compensation for ruined homes.
