Russian forces have reclaimed 63.2% of the territory previously captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of western Russia, as announced by the Russian defense ministry on Friday. The ministry reported the recapture of four settlements in the first two weeks of January.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the ministry's statement. Last year on August 6, Ukrainian troops made a surprise incursion across the border, seizing a portion of territory that provides Kyiv with a significant bargaining chip in potential peace negotiations.