Putin orders restoration program for Russian border regions
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President Vladimir Putin has instructed officials to develop a comprehensive restoration plan for Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod, following Ukrainian military attacks and cross-border strikes.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 11, 2025. (via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed federal and regional authorities to prepare a comprehensive program for the restoration and development of territories in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions. These areas have suffered significant damage due to attacks by Ukrainian armed forces.
The instruction, published by the Kremlin on Friday, calls for coordinated efforts between the Russian government, the presidential administration, and local executive bodies, alongside the Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, and Emergencies Ministry.
The program aims to address the aftermath of both military shelling and acts described in the document as terrorist attacks. The involved institutions are tasked with not only rebuilding damaged infrastructure but also ensuring the future development of the affected regions.
The directive stresses the importance of including public input in the planning process. It instructs government bodies to engage with municipal leaders, volunteer networks, and civil organizations to ensure a locally informed and community-based approach to recovery.
This order follows a May 22 meeting between Putin and cabinet members. A detailed report on the proposed restoration program is expected to be submitted to the Russian president by July 15.
Russia liberates Kursk
Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod are all Russian regions and have been the target of repeated cross-border attacks, drone strikes, and shelling by Ukrainian forces.
Confrontations in Kursk were significantly decisive after the Ukrainian army launched a large-scale offensive in August 2024, marking the largest incursion into Russian territory since World War II.
Ukrainian forces captured over 1,300 square kilometers of land, advancing largely unopposed in the early stages. However, as the operation progressed, the offensive force struggled with logistics and troop numbers.
By April 2025, the Russian army had fully cleared the Kursk region of Ukrainian forces. Kiev had initially aimed to use territory in the Kursk region as leverage in future negotiations, but Russia, which has taken control of regions of the Donbass, has now taken full control.
"Today, the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces," Gerasimov said in a video conference, delivering the Valery Gerasimov report directly to Putin.
"The Kiev regime's adventure has completely failed," Putin responded, expressing his gratitude to Russian soldiers for their role in the Kursk region's liberation. He emphasized that the recapture of Kursk would enable further Russian advances on other parts of the front.
Read more: Lost ground, lost soldiers: Ukraine's Kursk offensive divides nation
