Putin Visits Troops in Kursk, Orders Swift Retake of Territory from Ukraine:

While personally visiting Russian troops in the regional Kursk on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin ordered for the already rapid gains made against the Ukrainian front to continue at pace while militarily dressed.

Putin’s visit followed the retaking of Kyivan controlled territory in Kursk that forced Ukraine to surrender Sudzha, while American forces attempted to persuade Putin into agreeing with the previously discussed one month ceasefire deal.

Last year on August 6th , a dire turn of events was incited with the capture of lands inside Russia's border followed by a blitzkrieg styled retreat, leaving citizens hopeful and Ukraine in a much better strategic position.

Ukrainian forces have faced extreme drawbacks in defending their Kursk position after being cut off their primary supply routes for weeks and have gradually unfurled their geographical area of control from this area over the past 7 months.

Putin just recently stated that Ukraine's Sumy region , which boardersTipper Kursk, may serve as an ideal position to place a defensive buffer zone to safeguard against any potential incursions from the Ukrainian army.

In his remarks, he stated that foreigners who fought against the Ukrainian side and were captured in Kursk cannot be provided the safeguards of the Geneva Conventions while claiming that Ukrainian soldiers who were taken prisoner in Kursk must be regarded as “terrorists”.

"Putin said, “Our immediate goal is to put an end to the hostile activity of the enemy that has occupied and is fighting within the Kursk region, and to comprehensively clear the Kursk region from the enemy’s occupation, and to manage the situation over the state border line."”

“It goes without saying that a security buffer zone at the region’s state border has to be established”, he said.

Gerasimov was recorded telling Putin that Russian troops had occupied more than 86% of the previously held Ukrainian territory in Kursk, which Gerasimov said is 1100 square kilometers or 425 square miles of land. This stunned many observers of the conflict.

"It also means that Ukraine’s expectations of using Kursk as a bargaining token in the rumored negotiations with Russia has backfired," he explained. The strategy by the Kyiv government that its operation in Kursk would compel Moscow to shift focus from its offensive in eastern Ukraine has also failed.

According to Gerasimov, Russian forces have captured more than 400 prisoners and more than 400 square kilometers of territory, including twenty-four settlements within the past five days from Ukrainian forces. Russian units have advanced into Ukraine's Sumy Area, where he stated that they are enlarging an ‘anti-terrorist impetus’ underneath a ‘security zone’ umbrella.

His claims could not be verified independently by Reuters. However, they have been able to prove the video published by Russian provided bloggers and state-owned media, which showcased troops positioned along with a Russian tricolor flag in a square in the southern part of Sudzha, which is a town adjacent to Ukraine’s border and lies on a highway used by Ukraine to supply lines.

A reputable Ukrainian source known as Deep State, which tracks movements on a map for the war, adjusted its Sudzha map to confirm that Ukraine had pulled out their forces around Sudzha. They mentioned, however, that battles are ongoing on the border of the town. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s most senior commander claimed that the Ukrainian troops will continue positioning themselves in the region of Kursk, Russia for as long as is necessary, adding that battles were taking place in the town Sudzha and its surroundings.

Ukraine military blogger Skadovskyi Defender posted on Telegram: “Ukrainian Armed Forces will be withdrawing from Kursk. By Friday, there will be no Ukrainian soldier present in the area.” The same channel, however, stated that Ukraine is still carrying out intensive attacks on Sudzha.