Russian President Vladimir Putin was seen visiting a military command centre in the Kursk region in a video released by the Kremlin on Wednesday. Dressed in military fatigues, Putin was greeted by Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov before entering the building, according to the Associated Press. The visit comes at a time of escalating fighting in Kursk, where a part of the region remains under Ukrainian control. As ceasefire talks intensify, Moscow aims to reclaim this territory while Kyiv is determined to hold it as leverage in negotiations.
Russian state media reported that Russian forces had entered the town of Suda in Kursk, which Ukrainian troops had seized in a surprise cross-border offensive last year. Suda, previously home to around 5,000 residents, is the largest settlement in the region taken by Ukrainian forces. Russian news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS released footage purportedly showing a Russian military commander speaking over aerial footage of Russian soldiers in the town square. In the video, the commander claims that Russian troops have raised the national flag over the local administration building. The Associated Press verified the footage’s location, confirming that the square and its surroundings matched images of Suda’s Sovetskaya Square. However, there has been no official confirmation from either the Russian or Ukrainian military.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that it was too early to discuss a response to the proposed 30-day ceasefire. According to the Associated Press, Peskov stated that Moscow is awaiting detailed information from the United States before taking a formal position. The ceasefire proposal was put forward after discussions in Saudi Arabia between Ukrainian and American delegations.
US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for an end to the conflict, previously suspended military assistance to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate with Russia. This decision was reversed only days after a tense White House meeting where the two leaders argued over the ongoing war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation to Saudi Arabia, confirmed that Washington would present the ceasefire proposal to the Kremlin. However, Moscow has so far rejected any agreement that does not lead to a permanent end to the war. Peskov also indicated that despite Trump’s claim that he would speak with Putin this week, no official request for a conversation had been received from the US.
Be First to Comment