• This grab taken from a handout footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on March 13, 2025, shows destructions in the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region. (Russian Defense Ministry/AFP)

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its forces have taken control of the settlements of Sudzha, Melovoi, and Podol in the Kursk Region.

Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of the Kursk Region, affirmed on Thursday that efforts to clear the area are in full swing and that "victory" is approaching.

"Now it is official, final and irrevocable: Sudzha is liberated. Glory to our fearless warriors! The cleansing of the Kursk land is in full swing. Only forward! Victory is getting closer!" Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured that there is no doubt the Kursk Region will be fully "liberated" soon.

"There is no doubt that the Kursk Region will be liberated quite soon," Peskov told reporters when asked about the timeline for expelling Ukrainian forces from the region.

Russian Defense Ministry: Over 340 Ukrainian troops lost in Kursk battles

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that Ukrainian forces suffered over 340 casualties in the Kursk direction in the past 24 hours.

"Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 340 servicepeople. Two infantry fighting vehicles, three armored personnel carriers, five armored combat vehicles, 17 cars, four artillery pieces, two mortars, and two UAV control points have been destroyed," the ministry detailed in a statement.

Since hostilities began in the Kursk region, Kiev has reportedly lost over 67,150 military personnel and 392 tanks, according to the ministry.

Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed 77 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory since the evening of March 12.

"From 20:00 Moscow time [17:00 GMT] on March 12 to 06:36 Moscow time on March 13, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 77 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: 30 drones over the Bryansk Region, 25 drones over the Kaluga Region, six drones over the Kursk Region, six drones over the Voronezh Region, five drones over the Rostov Region, and five drones over the Belgorod Region," it stated.

Read more: Ukraine forces in Kursk isolated, destroyed: Russian chief of staff

Over 475 Ukrainian troops lost in clashes with Russia’s Central Forces

According to the ministry, more than 475 Ukrainian troops were eliminated in the past 24 hours by Russia’s Tsentr (Central) group of forces.

"The enemy lost more than 475 servicepeople, five armored combat vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier and a UK-made Spartan armored personnel carrier, seven vehicles, two artillery pieces and an electronic warfare station," the ministry said in a statement.

Moreover, Russia's Zapad (West) group reportedly eliminated more than 220 Ukrainian personnel, while the Yug (South) group neutralized over 225 Ukrainian soldiers.

Kremlin confirms US negotiators traveling to Russia

In a related context, Peskov confirmed on Thursday that US negotiators are en route to Russia for discussions, as Washington seeks to present its plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

Kiev agreed to the US proposal after talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, but Moscow has asked for the US side to present details before indicating whether it is acceptable.

"Indeed, the negotiators are flying and, indeed, the contacts are planned. We will not get ahead of ourselves. We will tell you later," Peskov told reporters.

Russia will assess and develop its position on Ukraine after receiving information from US representatives, he added.

"There were talks in Jeddah, and after that, both [US National Security Adviser Mike] Waltz and [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio said that information would be conveyed to Russia through various channels. This process of conveying information to Russia is now in action," he explained.

The Kremlin spokesperson reiterated that no official negotiations on Ukraine have commenced.

"In general, as for possible positions before these negotiations started — and they have not started yet — let us not forget — it would probably be wrong to 'waste one's breath' and talk about it publicly," he said.

On his part, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov declined to comment on the visit of Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, to Moscow, emphasizing that both parties agreed to keep these discussions confidential.

Earlier on Thursday, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported that a Gulfstream G650ER aircraft, associated with Witkoff, had landed at Moscow's Vnukovo-2 airport.

"Everyone is talking about this, but I would not comment on it, because we agreed that such contacts would be closed door ones," Ushakov stated in an interview with Rossiya-1 broadcaster.