Zelenskyy: Ukrainian Forces Continue Operations in Kursk, Belgorod Regions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refuted Russian claims of complete control over the Kursk region, asserting that Ukrainian forces continue active defensive operations in both Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod oblasts. Despite Russian military reports to President Vladimir Putin declaring the 'liberation' of Kursk from Ukrainian troops, Ukrainian officials maintain that fighting persists in these areas, with nearly 70 Russian assault attempts repelled in a single day. Independent sources and war monitoring projects indicate that Ukrainian forces retain control of portions of Kursk Oblast and that contested 'gray zones' remain in both Kursk and Belgorod. Russian authorities have described their operations as successfully ending a months-long Ukrainian incursion, but Ukrainian and international sources dismiss these claims as propaganda. The ongoing clashes underscore the continued volatility of the front lines and the limitations of current international pressure on Russia to end the conflict.