MOSCOW: Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town in the Kursk region previously occupied by Ukraine, marking a significant shift in the ongoing war, Moscow announced on Thursday.
The development comes amid ceasefire talks, with the United States pushing for a temporary halt to hostilities.
The Russian defence ministry stated that troops had “liberated” several key settlements, including Melovoy, Podol, and Sudzha, as part of their offensive operations.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) corroborated this claim, citing video evidence suggesting that Russian forces had secured Sudzha and advanced towards southern Zaoleshenka, a settlement northwest of the town.
Symbolic victory for Russia
Although Sudzha is a small town with a pre-war population of around 5,000, its recapture is considered a significant symbolic victory for Russia.
It had been one of the last populated settlements under Ukrainian control in the region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed confidence that Russian forces would soon clear all remaining Ukrainian-held areas in Kursk.
“President [Vladimir Putin] said this needs to be done as quickly as possible. It will take as much time as necessary to save the maximum number of lives of our military and civilians. But there is no doubt that the Kursk region will be liberated fairly soon,” Peskov said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the region on Wednesday, meeting frontline troops and commanders.
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In a televised address, he reiterated Moscow’s goal to “completely liberate” Kursk. The visit, described by Russian media as a morale-boosting effort, came just a day after Ukraine accepted a 30-day, US-backed ceasefire proposal covering the entire frontline.
US push for ceasefire
Meanwhile, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Peskov confirmed that American officials were expected to brief Russia on the proposed ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed to in principle.
US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House on Wednesday, indicated that the next move was up to Russia.
“We’re going to have to see. It’s up to Russia now,” Trump said. His remarks came as US representatives prepared to discuss the ceasefire proposal with Russian officials.
Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova also confirmed that Moscow was open to talks.
“We are ready to discuss the initiatives set out there in future contacts with the United States. Such contacts are already possible as early as today,” she said, according to Reuters.
Role of US intelligence cutoff
The recent Russian advance in Kursk has raised questions about the impact of a brief US intelligence cutoff on Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Washington temporarily halted intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine last week, before restoring it on Tuesday after Kyiv agreed to the ceasefire proposal.
According to Ukrainian government sources cited by Time magazine, the intelligence cutoff had a profound effect, preventing Ukraine from detecting Russian bomber and fighter jet movements and using US intelligence to set precise targeting coordinates for its weapon systems.
Russian military reporters suggested that Moscow had prioritised operations in Kursk, deploying elite drone operators and advanced electronic warfare systems to counter Ukrainian defences.
Ukrainian forces reportedly faced difficulties launching counterattacks due to Russian interference with their drone systems.
On Friday, March 7, Russian forces launched fresh attacks on Ukrainian border areas in Sumy, their first such offensive since 2022, in an apparent effort to encircle Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
By Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry announced that it had recaptured over 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) of territory, including more than a dozen settlements.
Europe steps in to fill the gap
As the US temporarily withdrew intelligence and military support, European allies scrambled to fill the void.
According to the Financial Times, satellite operators in France, Spain, the UK, and Luxembourg offered services to replace SpaceX’s Starlink system, which Ukrainian forces rely on for communications and counter-battery coordination.
Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imaging firm, confirmed that European governments were passing on its satellite imagery to Ukraine, despite the US suspension.
Meanwhile, European countries accelerated arms shipments to Kyiv to prevent a repeat of early 2024, when a six-month pause in US military aid led to significant Ukrainian losses.
Strategic importance of Kursk
Ukraine’s hold on Kursk has been a rare instance of its forces operating on Russian soil.
Ukrainian troops first launched a counteroffensive into the region in August 2024, surprising Russian forces and managing to pin down an estimated 78,000 Russian soldiers with just 11,000 troops.
The incursion embarrassed the Kremlin and reportedly prompted Putin to request reinforcements, including 12,000 North Korean mercenaries, last November.
ISW reported last month that Russian forces had regained approximately 655 square kilometres (250 square miles) of Kursk, over half the area Ukraine had controlled at the peak of its operations.
Despite Ukraine’s defensive efforts in early 2025, Russian forces have steadily regained ground.
Petro Chernyk, a Ukrainian military analyst, told Time magazine that Putin had set a deadline of May 9—the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II—for securing a complete Russian victory in Kursk.
“If this does not happen, then for him it will really be a very serious ideological defeat,” Chernyk said.
Awaiting Russia’s response
As negotiations continue, all eyes are on Moscow to determine whether it will accept the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US.
The Kremlin confirmed that it had received “certain information” about the plan and stated that Putin “may have an international phone call later” on Thursday.
Although Russian officials have not disclosed who Putin will speak with, AFP reported that Trump’s aides and Russian officials had already held discussions on Wednesday.
The Kremlin has not yet commented on whether it has presented Washington with a list of demands to end the war.
