Ukraine held an estimated 514 square miles of Russian territory at its high point on Aug. 24, 2024, but as of March 12, Russian forces had retaken slightly more than 70%.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces invaded as Russian and North Korean forces accelerated an advance in the region.

Russia claimed on Friday that its forces had recaptured another settlement in the Kursk region, which was captured by Ukraine during last year’s incursion. "Units of the Sever (North) Group of Forces liberated the settlement of Goncharovka during offensive operations," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Ukrainian officials have not confirmed a retreat from the town in Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were captured by Kyiv’s forces last summer.

Ukrainian forces are under intense pressure in Russia's Kursk region, where they grabbed a chunk of land last August and have held on to it through more than seven months of fierce fighting.