From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / April 27, 2025
As Russian Forces Declare Full Recapture of Kursk Oblast, Trump and Zelensky Meet at Pope’s Funeral While Putin Declares Readiness for Talks “Without Preconditions”
Summary of the Day – April 26, 2025
Russia claimed complete control of Kursk Oblast today as General Valery Gerasimov made the first official Russian acknowledgment of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces. In Vatican City, Zelensky and Trump held a “productive” meeting during Pope Francis’s funeral, though an expected second meeting never materialized. Trump later questioned Putin’s commitment to peace, suggesting Russia might face “banking or secondary sanctions” if it continues civilian strikes. Meanwhile, Russian forces launched 114 drones and missiles overnight, killing three civilians and wounding dozens across Ukraine, while Putin declared readiness for talks “without preconditions.” The battlefield saw Ukrainian advances near Pokrovsk as Russian forces gained ground using motorcycle units—a tactic Moscow is systematically developing for summer offensives to counter Ukraine’s drone advantage.
Victory or Mirage? Russia Claims Full Control of Kursk as Ukraine Disputes the Fall
Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on April 26 that Russian forces had fully recaptured all Ukrainian-held territory in Kursk Oblast, seizing Gornal, the last Ukrainian-held settlement in the region. The announcement marks what Moscow portrays as the definitive end to Ukraine’s eight-month incursion into Russian territory that began in August 2024.
“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 Interfax.
Gerasimov credited elements of the Russian 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, 810th Naval Infantry Brigade, 40th Naval Infantry Brigade, 177th Naval Infantry Regiment, and 1427th Motorized Rifle Regiment with capturing Gornal. Geolocated footage published on April 26 appears to show Russian forces advancing along Gora Street in central Gornal.
Voice of Ukraine 