Syrian: Ukrainian forces withdraw to other positions in Kursk region

Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said today that his forces are withdrawing to other positions in Russia's Kursk region, where Russian forces claim to have rapidly recaptured parts of the area in recent days.

"In the most difficult situation, my priority was and remains to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, units of the defense forces, if necessary, are moving to more favorable positions," he said on Facebook, using a phrase commonly used by both the Russian and Ukrainian sides to indicate a withdrawal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his army today to "completely liberate" the Russian Kursk region, where his forces have made rapid advances against Ukrainian forces in recent days, local television reported.

It is Putin's first visit to the Kursk region since Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive there in August 2024.

Ukrainian forces have seized several hundred square kilometers of the area, while Russian forces have been trying to expel them from the area in recent months.