Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk town of Kursk, which was recently partially occupied by Ukrainian troops, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
This is the first trip to the region by Russian leaders since the Ukrainian invasion last year.
Putin met with regional governor Alexander Khinshtein, volunteer organization and local officials Tuesday night. The Kremlin said he promised Moscow continued to support reconstruction efforts, especially housing damaged in the conflict.
The president also visited a department at the Kursk nuclear power plant currently under construction.
Last August, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise offensive against the Kursk region and held a small piece of territory within a few months. The Russian military declared the region “completely liberated” in late April.
Zelensky Denied that Russia has completely recaptured Kursk
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the claims on Wednesday, saying Ukrainian forces are still operating in the Kursk and Bergorod regions to defend Sumi and Khakif's northeastern Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine's military observer also said that Kiev's troops are still being held for several kilometers in the Kursk region.
Zelensky added that Russian troops continued to launch attacks along the Eastern Front, with the most intense battles concentrated in the controversial city of Pokrovsk.
Ukrainian General Staff said Russian troops launched 104 attacks on the front line on Wednesday, including 43 attacks around Pokrovsk.
Zelensky also said in a statement that preparations for the prisoner exchange that was consistent with Russia in Istanbul last week were underway. Both sides plan to release 1,000 prisoners.
Summy Fire area
Sumy's Ukrainian region sits on the border of Kursk and has been bombed by Russia for months.
Governor Oleh Hryhorov said Wednesday that industrial facilities and power lines were damaged by overnight drone attacks and part of the regional capital had no power.
In addition, Ukrainian authorities said six soldiers were killed on Sumy's military training ground and 10 others were injured in a Russian missile strike.
The Ukrainian National Guard announced casualties on Facebook, adding that an investigation has begun.
Russia's defense ministry released drone videos Tuesday night claiming a missile strike in Ukrainian units near Shostka town. According to Moscow, the attack was conducted using Iskander ballistic missiles and killed up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed ammunition warehouses and military equipment.
Ukrainian parliament members indirectly confirmed the strike shortly after posting the video, although they did not provide the casualties.
Ukrainian drone destroys air traffic in Moscow
Ukrainian mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced in a telegram that Ukrainian drones have damaged air traffic in the Russian capital Moscow.
Sobyanin repeatedly posted that one or more enemies were shot down by metropolitan suburbs. By night, the number had risen to more than 27 intercepted drones, although these numbers could not be independently verified.
Due to the danger in the air, the Aviation Administration Rosaviatsiya had to repeatedly stop taking off and landing at the Moscow airport. The largest airport in Russia, Sheremetyevo, as well as Domodedovo and Zhukovsky Airports, were particularly affected.
Aircraft tracker Flighttradar24 shows that many of Moscow-bound aircraft are orbiting or holding modes.
Russia has launched a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than three years. Ukraine is defending itself and trying to bring the war back to the invaders' countries. However, Ukrainian drones cause much less damage than Ukrainian Russian drones and missiles.
