Ukrainian Forces Maintain Presence in Russia’s Kursk Region
Despite Moscow’s repeated claims of having fully expelled Ukrainian forces, Kyiv’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, has confirmed that Ukrainian troops continue to hold territory inside Russia’s Kursk region. The Ukrainian presence persists nearly a year after a significant cross-border incursion launched in August 2024.
Commander-in-Chief Syrsky stated on Sunday, June 22, 2025, that approximately 90 square kilometers (about 35 sq miles) of Russian territory remain under Ukrainian control. He specified that Ukrainian forces are maintaining their position within the Glushkovsky district of the region. This assertion directly contradicts reports from Russian state media earlier this spring, including TASS in April 2025, which claimed Russian forces had completed operations to clear the region entirely of Ukrainian troops.
Background: The August 2024 Incursion
The operation began as a surprise offensive on August 6, 2024. Initially, Ukrainian forces achieved rapid success, capturing more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 sq miles) of Russian land and seizing dozens of villages in Kursk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the operation’s primary objective as establishing a buffer zone to prevent Russian forces from being redeployed to critical front lines in eastern Ukraine. Syrsky later characterized the ongoing presence as “preemptive actions” taken in anticipation of potential enemy offensives.
He detailed the strategic impact, claiming that Ukraine’s operations in the Glushkovsky district, particularly during April 2025, successfully thwarted Russia’s plan to move approximately 60,000 personnel, including elite airborne and marine units, to reinforce offensive groups in key areas such as Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Lyman, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Intense Russian Counter-Offensive and North Korean Support
While the initial gains were substantial, Ukraine’s advance eventually stalled as Russia rushed reinforcements to the area. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have faced intense pressure and have been in retreat in Kursk. Moscow launched a large-scale counter-offensive involving an estimated 70,000 troops supported by heavy drone attacks, aimed at regaining all lost territory.
A significant factor in the Russian defense has been military support from North Korea. Last autumn, an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops were reportedly sent to Kursk to bolster Russian defenses against the cross-border operation. Western officials reported in January 2025 that at least 1,000 North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia had been killed in just three months. More recently, in early June, Pyongyang pledged to send thousands of mine-clearing troops and builders to help restore damaged infrastructure in the Kursk region.
Despite the reduction in territory held compared to the operation’s peak, Commander Syrsky maintained in May 2025 that the primary objective – preventing a major Russian offensive in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions – had been achieved.
Future Actions and Casualties
Speaking alongside his update on territorial holdings, Commander Syrsky also vowed that Ukraine would increase the “scale and depth” of its strikes inside Russia. He emphasized that these actions would strictly target “purely military targets,” not civilian populations.
Earlier this spring, President Zelensky claimed in May that Russia had suffered over 63,000 soldier casualties specifically in the Kursk region since the Ukrainian incursion began. Currently, approximately 10,000 Russian troops are actively attempting to push the remaining Ukrainian forces back from the territory they hold.
