putin tours kursk: nuclear site visit amid territorial claims
The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Vladimir Putin visited the area around Kursk in western Russia. The exact date of this visit remains unknown, but the announcement includes details of the visit's itinerary. The Russian leader met with local authorities and toured the nuclear power station.
What you need to know
- Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk region. It is not clear when this occurred, as the Kremlin's report on Wednesday does not specify the date of the visit.
- At the end of April, Russia declared it had regained full control over the region, although Ukraine asserts that its troops are still operational there.
- Putin met with Alexander Khinshtein and visited the city of Kurchatov, where there is a nuclear power station.
What were Putin's objectives in visiting the Kursk region?
The Kremlin reported that Vladimir Putin was in the Kursk region. During his visit, the Russian leader met with the acting head of the region, Alexander Khinshtein. The visit also included an inspection of the new reactors' construction at the nuclear power station 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. Nevertheless, Ukraine claims that its forces are still present in the region and continue to engage.
The Kremlin's information about Putin's visit to the Kursk region is intended to reinforce the idea of full control over the area. In defending it against Ukrainian forces, Moscow has deployed not only its own soldiers but also units sent to Russia from North Korea. Pyongyang has acknowledged this cooperation.
