Military analysts warn that Russia’s rapid advance in Kursk threatens to strip Kyiv its last remaining bargaining chip
President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Russia’s Kursk region to claim that his army is “in the final stages” of reclaiming the land.
Moscow is weighing up a US-backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire while its troops push deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Putin is said to have a list of demands that must be met before he agrees to a ceasefire – but US President Donald Trump has threatened to devastate the Russian economy if the Kremlin does not back a deal.
Before talks between the US and Moscow get under way on the deal, Putin – dressed in military fatigues – addressed frontline troops in a state-broadcast appearance from Kursk, vowing that Russia’s objective is to “completely liberate” the area as soon as possible.
This marks his first trip to the contested Russian region since Ukraine’s unexpected incursion of it in August 2024
Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses commanders as he visits a control centre of the Russian armed forces in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Kursk region, Russia, March 12, 2025, in this still image taken from video. Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. WATERMARK FROM SOURCE.
Putin addresses commanders as he visits a control centre of the Russian armed forces in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Kursk region (Photo: Kremlin via Reuters)
Today Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that troops had recaptured Sudzha, the Kursk city captured by Ukraine during its lightning offensive across the border last August.
Ukraine has not commented but on Wednesday its top army commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Kyiv would keep operating in Kursk as long as needed.
Ceasefire talks hang in the balance
US officials have landed in Moscow today to discuss the potential ceasefire deal with their Russian counterparts.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in the Russian capital, with reports suggesting he may meet Putin to relay Ukraine’s position and gauge the Kremlin’s willingness to engage in a ceasefire.
Earlier, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said talks with the US were planned but added: “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we’ll tell you about them later.”
In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, accompanied by Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, second left, visits military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)
Putin with Russian Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov (Photo: Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)
Russia has reportedly handed the US a list of demands to end the war and reset diplomatic ties. According to Reuters, Putin’s demands mirror their previous conditions: a firm commitment that Ukraine will never join Nato, a ban on foreign troop deployments on Ukrainian soil, and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the four illegally annexed Ukrainian provinces.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said he is prepared to accept the 30-day ceasefire as an initial step toward broader peace talks.
However, scepticism remains high, with some US officials and lawmakers worried that Putin, a former KGB officer, could exploit any truce to divide Western allies, regroup militarily and undercut Kyiv’s negotiating power.
Whether Moscow will accept the ceasefire in good faith or see it as a strategic pause remains an open question, with Ukraine’s bargaining position growing weaker as Russia continues its meatgrinder assaults over the front line.
Furthermore, military analysts warn that Russia’s rapid advance in Kursk threatens to strip Kyiv its last remaining bargaining chip just as Moscow considers accepting a 30-day ceasefire.
What’s happening on the ground?
Geolocated footage published on 12 March confirms that Russian forces have taken Sudzha and advanced into southern Zaoleshenka – north-west of Sudzha – and westward beyond Basivka, a settlement across the border in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think-tank.
Across the country, Ukraine has been battling a relentless wave of Russian drone and missile strikes overnight. Further south, overnight attacks struck Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa and parts of Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine says it has shot down 74 of 117 drones launched overnight, alongside an Iskander-M missile. Russia claims it intercepted 77 Ukrainian drones, including 30 over Bryansk, 25 over Kaluga, and more in Kursk, Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.