Conflicting reports emerge over alleged Ukrainian withdrawal from Russia's Kursk region
The Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly withdrew from the village of Gornal in the Kursk region of Russia. The announcement was made to Russian President Vladimir Putin by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, according to a Kremlin press release.
During the briefing to Putin, Gerasimov asserted that the entire Kursk region has been cleared of Ukrainian forces. "The defeat of the armed formations, the Ukrainian Armed Forces that invaded the Kursk region, has been completed. The Kyiv regime's plans to create a so-called strategic outpost and derail our offensive on Donbass have failed," stated the head of Russia's General Staff.
Gerasimov claimed that during the combat in the Kursk region, Ukraine's Armed Forces allegedly lost a minimum of 75,000 troops and over 400 tanks. He also reported that North Korean fighters had participated in the battles against the Ukrainians. Putin, for his part, emphasized that the "complete defeat" of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk border area creates conditions for subsequent successful operations by the Russian Armed Forces on other fronts.
Meanwhile, the morning report from the Ukrainian General Staff did not mention any withdrawal from the Kursk region. It was noted that Ukraine's Defense Forces continue to hold off the Russian troops on the Kursk front, repelling 30 Russian assaults. "Our warriors are inflicting significant losses on occupying troops in personnel and equipment and are actively undermining the enemy's offensive potential in the rear," read the statement.
According to analytical maps by the DeepState project, the Russian village of Gornal, located just a few dozen meters from the Ukrainian border, is currently controlled by Ukrainian forces. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, commented to LIGA.net that currently, the statements by Gerasimov and Putin do not align with reality. However, he stressed that "the dynamics of war necessitate constant updates on the situation in the future."
Later, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released information stating that reports by Russian high command regarding the alleged end of hostilities in the Kursk region are not accurate. "The defensive operation of Ukraine's Defense Forces in certain areas of the Kursk region is ongoing. The operational situation is complex, but our units continue to hold particular positions and achieve their designated tasks, efficiently inflicting fire damage on the enemy with all types of weaponry, and applying an active defense tactic," the statement said. It also noted that there is currently no threat of encirclement of our units. Statements by leadership about the "defeat" of the Ukrainian troop formation are nothing more than a propagandist ploy and an effort to present desired outcomes as actual fact. Active operations by our forces continue in certain areas of Russia's Belgorod region, the General Staff added. Recall that on April 14, Russian media reported fighting in the Kursk region over the Gornal St. Nicholas Monastery.