Russia says its forces have recaptured Oleshnya village from Ukrainian troops

Russian forces have driven Ukrainian troops out of one of their final positions in the Kursk region, officials confirmed on Saturday. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had captured the border village of Oleshnya during offensive operations.

“Units of the ‘North’ military group have liberated Oleshnya in the Kursk region,” the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that fighting is still underway to oust Ukrainian forces from Gornal, located around seven miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.

With the recapture of most of the region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion last year, Russian and North Korean troops have largely stripped Kyiv of a valuable bargaining position.

In other developments, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said Saturday.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.

“Units of the ‘North’ military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations,” the ministry said in a statement. The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim and there was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some seven miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.

“The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Gornal … in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement,” the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.

Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.

In other developments, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said Saturday.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.

“Units of the ‘North’ military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations,” the ministry said in a statement. The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim and there was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some seven miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.

“The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Gornal … in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement,” the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.

Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.

In other developments, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

The United States will move on “very shortly” if no deal is reached to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, said President Donald Trump said Friday, adding that negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding war.

There is “no specific number of days, but quickly, we want to get it done,” Trump told journalists, after his Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would walk away if peace between Moscow and Kyiv were not “doable.”

With inputs from agencies