Putin visits nuclear plant: Kremlin asserts control in Kursk
The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Vladimir Putin visited the area around Kursk in western Russia. The date of this visit remains unknown, but the announcement includes details of its itinerary. The Russian leader met with local authorities and toured the nuclear power plant.
What do you need to know?
- Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk region. The date of his visit is not specified, as the Kremlin reported this activity on Wednesday without mentioning when it occurred.
- At the end of April, Russia announced it had regained full control over the region, although Ukraine claims that its troops are still active there.
- Putin met with Alexander Khinshtein and visited the city of Kurchatov, where a nuclear power plant is located.
What were Putin’s objectives in visiting the Kursk region?
The Kremlin reported that Vladimir Putin was in the Kursk region. During his stay, the Russian leader met with the acting head of the region, Alexander Khinshtein. The visit also included an overview of the new reactor construction at the nuclear power plant in Kurchatov. He was accompanied by the deputy head of the Kremlin administration, Sergey Kiriyenko.
Does Ukraine still control part of the Kursk region?
At the end of April, Russia announced that it had regained full control of the Kursk region, which had been partially controlled by Ukrainian troops since August 2024. Nonetheless, Ukraine maintains that its forces are still present in the region and continue to fight.
The Kremlin's announcement of Putin's visit to the Kursk region is intended to underscore full control over the area. In defending it against Ukrainian forces, Moscow has deployed not only its soldiers but also units sent from North Korea. Pyongyang has acknowledged this cooperation.
