Moscow claims to retake Kursk Oblast, confirms North Korean troop deployment for first time

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

Russian forces have fully recaptured the territory of Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region partially held by Ukraine since last August, the Kremlin claimed on April 26.

"Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin on the completion of the operation to liberate Kursk Oblast," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Ukraine has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.

For the first time, Gerasimov also acknowledged the participation of North Korean troops in the campaign, praising their "fortitude and heroism."