Kiev strikes Russia's Kursk, Injuring 12: Russian Governor
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack on the Russian town of Lgov in the Kursk Region, injuring 12 civilians, including two children, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the region.
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vIn this photo taken from video distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, March 13, 2025, Russian soldiers patrol an area in Sudzha, in the Kursk region of Russia (AP)
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack on the Russian town of Lgov in the Kursk Region, injuring 12 people, among them two children, according to acting governor Alexander Khinshtein's statement on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian armed forces launched a massive attack on the town of Lgov. The attack took place on the Kursk-Rylsk highway, which is the entrance to the town. As a result of the attack, unfortunately, 12 civilians were injured, including two children," Khinstein stated on Telegram.
This closely follows Putin's recent visit to the Kursk region on Tuesday, after Russian forces retook the area that lies on the border with Ukraine on April 26th. This was Putin’s second trip to the region in 2024, following his initial visit on March 12, during which he met with military commanders at a forward command post.
Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin on April 26 that the country's military had completely removed Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, a notable milestone in the ongoing conflict between the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
"Today, the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces," Valery Gerasimov presented the report directly to President Vladimir Putin in a video conference.
Ukraine had originally sought to use its presence in the Kursk region as bargaining power in potential negotiations, but Russia, having already secured control over parts of Donbass, has now fully reclaimed the area.
Russia outlines its ceasefire demands
The Russian Ministry of Defense made public on May 17 the conditions Moscow presented in the Istanbul negotiations with Ukraine, according to details shared by the Clash Report platform via social media.
The first Russian condition calls for Ukraine to adopt an Austria-style neutral status, preventing any foreign troops or non-Ukrainian military bases, effectively barring NATO or other alliance forces from operating inside the country.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine formally recognize its constitutional sovereignty over five regions, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea, with the Russian Defense Ministry emphasizing that any immediate ceasefire would only take effect after Ukrainian forces fully withdraw from all these contested territories.
Moscow also seeks a bilateral rejection of war compensation claims, Ukraine’s compliance with EU minority rights, especially for Russian speakers, and an end to "nationalist propaganda."