Report by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General of the Army Valery Gerasimov

Supreme Commander-in-Chief!

Units of the Sever Group of Forces continue the operation to destroy the enemy in Kursk region. In the course of offensive actions, more than 1,100 square kilometres of the territory were liberated, which is more than 86% of the area previously occupied by the enemy.

During combat actions in Kursk region, the enemy lost more than 67,000 servicemen - these are the most trained and highly mobile, highly motivated units of the AFU and also formations of foreign mercenaries. In total, about 7,000 units of military hardware were destroyed during this time, including: 391 tanks, 2,780 armoured fighting vehicles, over 1,000 artillery units, and mortars.

In the autumn-winter campaign, the command of the AFU concentrated its main efforts precisely in Kursk direction. This is confirmed by the figures. For example, the relatively small Kursk territory of occupation by the AFU accounts for about 19% of losses from the entire operation zone - that is, military personnel - and more than 40% of hardware losses. If we count everything over six months, 19% of military personnel and 40% of hardware losses in this direction.

The Kiev regime aimed to create a so-called strategic lodgement in Kursk region in order to use it as a bargaining chip in possible negotiations with Russia. In addition, the Ukrainian leadership was trying to use the operation in Kursk region to stop the advance of Russian Groups of Forces and to send Russian troops back from Donbass. These plans of the enemy completely failed.

The results achieved were possible thanks to courageous, self-sacrificing and well-coordinated actions of formations and units and volunteered personnel formations of the Sever Group of Forces as well as the effective use of the aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces and unmanned aerial vehicle units.

The advancement along the State border by paratroopers of the 76th Airborne Division, the 106th Airborne Division, the 83rd Air Assault Brigade, marines of the 810th Marine Brigade, together with the successful actions of the Rubikon Centre's unmanned aerial vehicle teams in the border area of Kursk region and Sumy region of Ukraine in February of this year, made it possible to take left logistic routes under tight fire control, of the Armed Forces of Ukrain, depriving the enemy of the possibility to transfer reserves, bring in ammunition and materiel, and to create conditions for the final defeat of the enemy.

The offensive actions of the 155th Marine Brigade in Nikolskoye direction closed the ring of encirclement of a large enemy group in the area north of Malaya Loknya. Subsequently, the 34th Motorised Rifle Brigade, the 22nd Motorised Rifle Regiment, units of the 9th Motorised Rifle Regiment and units of other units liberated Malaya Loknya and surrounding settlements. The enemy suffered heavy losses, enemy individual small groups under artillery fire and attacks by drones of the Russian side began to withdraw in south direction, losing men along the direction of movement.

I would like to pay special attention of heroic actions of the combined assault detachments of the ‘Veterany’ volunteer unit as well as the military personnel which was part of this combined assault unit, the 11th Air Assault Brigade, the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment and the Akhmat Special Operations Formation. Servicemen of this formation, numbering more than 600 men, using the pipe of the gas transport system, overcame a distance of about 15 kilometres inside the pipe and went deep into territory that was under control of the AFU. These actions came as a surprise to the enemy and contributed to the collapse of his defences and the development of the Russian offensive in Kursk region.
Over the past five days, 24 settlements and 259 square kilometres of Kursk region were liberated by actions of the Kursk Group of Forces in all directions. The area of the advancement was reduced by more than 2.5 times.

At present, the operation to destroy the enemy in Kursk region continues. The grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was isolated, Russian troops systematically inflict fire damage on the enemy. In some directions Russian units have crossed the state border and entered Sumy region, where the soldiers continue to destroy enemy reserves and expand the security zone. Ukrainian servicemen, seeing the futility of further resistance, began to actively surrender. 430 militants were taken prisoner.

Supreme Commander-in-Chief, thus the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to defeat formations of the AFU in Kursk region to complete the liberation of the territory of the region right to the State border of the Russian Federation as soon as possible.

The report is finished.