Kursk, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an unexpected visit to a command post in Kursk, where his troops are fending off a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Putin ordered soldiers to expel the remaining Ukrainian units from Kursk, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday.

Pictures of the meeting with Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov showed Putin in camouflage uniform. The exact location was not disclosed.

TASS said it was the first visit to this part of the front for the Russian president.

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In August 2024, Ukrainian units had unexpectedly invaded Russia, shifting the war to the enemy's territory for the first time.

After the Ukrainians were able to hold this bridgehead for a long time, they have had to retreat ever more quickly in recent days under Russian pressure.

On Wednesday, according to Moscow, Russian troops occupied the district capital Sudzha, which had been the backbone of the Ukrainian advance for seven months. However, the area has not yet been completely cleared.

The Ukrainian leadership had occupied the area as a bargaining chip for possible negotiations with Russia, the chief of staff explained.

In addition, the seven-month advance was intended to tie down Russian forces. "But these intentions of the enemy have failed completely," Gerasimov claimed.

He also said that 430 Ukrainian soldiers were captured near Kursk.

The fate of Russia's war on Ukraine hangs in the balance, with US President Donald Trump strong-arming Kyiv into accepting a 30-day ceasefire proposal that would lead to peace negotiations.