The Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov

Photo: Kremlin.ru

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin heard a videoconference report by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov on the final defeat of the Ukrainian formations which had invaded the Kursk Region.

April 26, 2025

Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region

Meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov (via videoconference).

President of Russia, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin:

“Mr Gerasimov, I know that you have the latest update on the developments on the Kursk track. What are the results of the fighting performance over the last day and the entire preceding period?”

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov:

“Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

Today, we liberated the village of Gornal, the last populated area in the Kursk Region, from Ukrainian units. I

Units of the 22nd Motor Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Division, the 810th and 40th Separate Marine Brigades, the 177th Separate Marine Regiment and the 1427th Motor Rifle Regiment have particularly distinguished themselves in this regard.

The defeat of the armed formations of the Ukrainian armed forces that invaded the Kursk Region has thus been completed. The plans of the Kiev regime to create a so-called strategic bridgehead and disrupt our offensive in Donbas have failed.

At the initial stage of the operation the enemy advance inside our territory was stopped and then the penetration area was reduced. The Ukrainian units had to assume defense. Later, flanking encounter assaults along the state border by two airborne divisions, the 76th and 106th, and actions by the 155th and 810th Marine Brigades, isolated and subsequently dismembered the main grouping of the Ukrainian armed forces, which was then destroyed piecemeal.

The most active phase of the operation began on March 6. As a result of the simultaneous offensive by the Kursk group units and formations in all directions, as well as the breakthrough into the enemy's rear by the underground landing force comprising the Veterans volunteer force, 11th Airborne Assault Brigade, the 30th Motor Rifle Regiment and the Akhmat Special Forces unit through the gas pipeline, the defence of the Ukrainian armed forces collapsed. The Ukrainian units began a chaotic withdrawal. And the penetration area was reduced by 2.5 times within five days.

In the course of further actions, the scarce remnants of Ukrainian elite units were defeated and knocked out of the Kursk Region.

The enemy suffered significant losses during the operation and had to constantly transfer reserves and units from other areas to the Kursk front in order to maintain the strength of its group at about 60,000 troops. The total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to more than 76,000 servicemen, killed and wounded. In fact, the enemy lost the original grouping and even more. We destroyed more than 7,700 pieces of military equipment, including 412 tanks, 340 infantry fighting vehicles, 314 armoured personnel carriers and about 2,300 other armoured combat vehicles.

I want to point out the participation of servicemen from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the liberation of the Kursk Region's border areas, who, in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries, provided significant assistance in defeating the invading group of the Ukrainian armed forces. Soldiers and officers of the Korean People's Army, carrying out combat missions shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen, displayed high professionalism, fortitude, courage and heroism in repulsing the Ukrainian invasion.

Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

Currently, measures are being taken in the liberated areas of the Kursk Region to identify single servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces trying to hide in Russia. Forest areas, basements and abandoned buildings are being checked. Local authorities get assistance in restoring peaceful life. Engineering units of army group North and the International Mine Action Center of the Military Engineering Academy are conducting continuous mine clearance of the territory and destroying explosive devices. Nineteen settlements have been fully checked and cleared. Some 110 mine clearance teams have been engaged in these efforts and this is more than 1,000 personnel.

Pursuant to your instructions, creation of a security zone in the border areas of Ukraine’s Sumy Region continues. Four settlements have been liberated. The total area of the controlled territory amounts to more than 90 square kilometres.

Additionally, units of army group North in the Belgorod Region have finished eradicating Ukrainian sabotage groups in the vicinity of the Popovka settlement. A search and liquidation of individual Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen hiding in the border forests is underway.

In other areas, the Combined Group of Troops (Forces) continues to carry out tasks in accordance with the concept of the special military operation.

This concludes my report.”

Photo: Kremlim.ru

Vladimir Putin:

“Mr Gerasimov, over the past few months, you have been regularly reporting to me on the situation in the Kursk Region and highlighting our most efficient units. I can't help mentioning them again today.

These are: the 76th Airborne Division and its 234th Airborne Assault Regiment, the 237th Airborne Assault Regiment and its 104th Airborne Assault Regiment; the 106th Airborne Division and its 119th Parachute Regiment, the 137th Parachute Regiment, and the 51st Parachute Regiment. These are the 56th Airborne Assault Regiment of the 7th Airborne Assault Division; two Akhmat regiments – the 204th Akhmat Special Forces Regiment and the 1434th Akhmat Motorized Infantry Regiment; the 22nd Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 72nd Division, the 11th Airborne Assault Brigade, the 83rd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. Finally, our marines, our glorious marines – the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, the 810th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet. And of course, as you have just mentioned, the Veterans volunteer force, which carried out a daring underground landing in the area of Sudzha and created conditions for its complete liberation.

I would like to congratulate the entire personnel of all military units who took part in the defeat of the neo-Nazi formations that invaded Russian territory in the Kursk Region.

The affair of the Kiev regime has completely failed and the huge losses suffered by the enemy, including most combat-ready, trained and equipped – using, among other things, Western models of equipment – units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including assault units, special forces, will certainly affect the entire line of engagement.

The complete defeat of the enemy in the Kursk border area creates conditions for further successful actions by our troops in other important sectors of the front, bringing the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime closer.

Congratulations to the entire personnel, all soldiers and commanders on this success and victory. Thank you for your courage, heroism, and service to our Fatherland and the people of Russia.

Thank you.”

Valery Gerasimov:

“I serve Russia!”

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