Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Kursk Oblast on May 20, for the first time since the Russian military announced the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the region in late April.
According to the Kremlin, during his trip, Mr. Putin met with volunteer organizations and visited the Kursk-2 nuclear power plant. The president also held a strategic meeting with local officials in Kurchatov, which has been a frontline of the fighting.
Accompanying him on the visit were Mr. Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of the Kremlin, and Acting Governor of the Kursk region Alexander Khinshtein. Russian state television broadcasts a picture of Mr. Putin meeting with people and support forces in the region.
Speaking during the visit, the Russian President stressed that the enemy continued to seek to approach the Russian border, and praised the resilience of the Kurchatov city defenders during the Ukrainian attack: "No one was afraid, all were resilient".
Mr. Putin also issued a directive to deploy additional bomb and mine clearing units to ensure people can return home safely and quickly.
Ukraine's Boldest attack on Russian territory took place on August 6, 2024, when Kiev suddenly crossed the border and seized nearly 1,400 square kilometres in Kursk province, with the support of Western weapons and drones. This is considered the largest raid on Russian territory since World War II.
At the end of April, Russia announced that it had regained control of the entire Kursk region. Putin had previously visited Kursk in late March, but has not returned since the Russian military took control of the area.
In another development, on May 21, the Ukrainian National Guard said that a Russian missile attack killed 6 soldiers and injured at least 10 others during training. An internal investigation is underway and the commander of the related unit has been suspended from work.
