Ukraine has denied Russian president Vladimir Putin’s claim that his forces have regained full control of the border region of Kursk, insisting that fighting is still ongoing.
“The Kyiv regime’s adventure has completely failed,” Mr Putin said on Saturday, congratulating Russian troops on what he described as a victory over Ukraine’s surprise offensive.
However, Ukraine’s military called the Russian claim “propaganda tricks”. “The operational situation is difficult, but our units continue to hold their positions and perform their assigned tasks,” it said.
Ukraine’s military reported six combat engagements in Kursk on Saturday, saying at least one fight was still ongoing as of 4pm Kyiv time (1pm GMT), as it accused Russia of carrying out nearly 150 artillery strikes throughout the day.
Meanwhile, Russia’s FSB said it had detained a man allegedly involved in the car bomb killing of a senior general near Moscow – a blast it blamed on Ukraine, though Kyiv has not responded.
On Saturday, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky sat down in the Vatican following Pope Francis’ funeral, their first face-to-face meeting since a clash in the Oval Office, to discuss a possible ceasefire. The White House described the meeting as “very productive”.
Key Points
- Ukraine accuses Putin of 'propaganda tricks' over Kursk claims
- Zelensky and Trump held ‘potentially historic’ meeting at Pope Francis' funeral
- Russia arrests man accused of killing senior general
What to know about the battle for Russia's Kursk region
08:44 , Athena StavrouUkraine has denied Russian president Vladimir Putin’s claim that his forces have regained full control of the border region of Kursk, insisting that fighting is still ongoing.
Here are key moments of the battle for Kursk and its impact:
- Ukrainian forces pushed into Kursk on August 6, 2024, in a surprise attack.
- The incursion was a humiliating blow to the Kremlin — the first time the country’s territory was occupied by an invader since World War II.
- Ukraine said Kyiv’s forces captured nearly 1,300 square kilometres and about 100 settlements in the region that covers 29,900 square kilometres.
- The Kremlin bolstered Russian forces in Kursk in the autumn, and they gradually intensified their effort to drive out the Ukrainians.
- By February, Russia reclaimed about two-thirds of the captured territory, leaving Ukraine with an area around Sudzha, a border town that was Ukraine's main hub in the region.
- Ukraine's military General Staff dismissed Moscow's claim of reclaiming full control of Kursk.
- If confirmed, Russia's victory in Kursk would weaken Kyiv’s hand in peace talks, removing its bargaining chip for exchanging territory it lost earlier in the war.
One killed in overnight Russian airstrikes
08:02 , Athena StavrouOne person was killed and a teenaged girl was injured in Russian airstrikes overnight, Kyiv said.
Ukraine's air force said on Sunday that Moscow launched 149 drones at Ukraine overnight.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said a man was killed in the city of Pavlohrad, and a 14-year-old girl was wounded.
He said that 500 heads of cattle were killed when a drone struck the facility in which they were kept.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 57 of the 149 drones, while 67 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets - usually a result of being jammed by electronic warfare systems.
Trump lashes out at Putin a day after meeting Zelensky
07:46 , Stuti MishraPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday he now doubts Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine, just a day after suggesting a peace deal was close.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote on social media, as he flew back to the United States after attending Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican, where he met briefly with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr Trump, who had previously said Ukraine and Russia were “very close to a deal,” hinted that additional sanctions could be considered if Putin’s approach did not change.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions’? Too many people are dying!!!” he wrote.
The remarks mark a shift in tone as Trump and senior officials step up efforts to broker an agreement to end the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian officials say they will never accept surrender of Crimea
06:57 , Adam WithnallUkrainian officials are said to have been shocked by a US proposal for a ceasefire deal with Russia that included formal recognition of Moscow’s authority over Crimea.
While Kyiv expects to have to concede territory to Russia, at least temporarily, in the terms of any truce, the idea of a legal or formal surrender of Crimea – which Vladimir Putin annexed illegally in 2014 – would be impossible, officials say.
According to experts, it would require a change to the Ukrainian constitution and a nationwide vote, and it could be considered treason. Lawmakers and the public are firmly opposed to the idea.
"It doesn't mean anything," Oleksandr Merezkho, a lawmaker with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's party, told the Associated Press in Kyiv. "We will never recognise Crimea as part of Russia."
Zelensky has said negotiations over occupied Ukrainian territory will be drawn out and will not likely occur until a ceasefire is in place. In late March, he told reporters after a call with Donald Trump that the US president "clearly understands that legally we will not recognise any territories."
He said giving up territory would be "the most difficult question" and "a big challenge for us."
Formal recognition of Crimea would also amount to political suicide for Zelensky. It could expose him to legal action in the future, said Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and a former economics minister. Signing a potentially unconstitutional document could be interpreted as high treason, Mylovanov said.
"That's why Russia is pushing it, because they know it's impossible to achieve," Mylovanov said.
Full story: Trump signals harder stance on Putin after Vatican meeting with Zelensky
06:15 , Stuti MishraDonald Trump is taking a harder line on Vladimir Putin, doubting the Russian leader’s willingness to end his war on Ukraine after meeting with the Ukrainian president and European leaders at Pope Francis' funeral.
The US president said that further sanctions on Russia may be needed.Trump made the observation in a Truth Social post from aboard Air Force One as he returned to the US, having attended the funeral of Pope Francis at which he held a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican.
The US president specifically called out the Russian leader for the continued bombing of civilian areas of Ukraine.
Read full story:
Trump doubts Putin’s willingness to end Ukraine war, threatening further sanctions
Zelensky and Trump held ‘potentially historic’ meeting at Pope Francis' funeral
05:55 , Stuti MishraUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump held a face-to-face meeting on Saturday at Pope Francis' funeral, the first time since their Oval Office shouting match.
Mr Zelensky said the meeting had the “potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results”, while the White House described the talks as “very productive.”
After the meeting, Mr Trump said he was considering imposing secondary sanctions on Russia and increasing banking restrictions to pressure Moscow.
Russia arrests man accused of killing senior general
05:32 , Stuti MishraRussia’s security service says it has arrested a man accused of killing a senior general in a car bombing outside Moscow.
The FSB alleges the suspect, named as Ignat Kuzin, rigged a Volkswagen Golf in the city of Balashikha with a homemade explosive sourced from a Ukrainian secret service stash and detonated it remotely from Ukraine.
The blast killed Gen Yaroslav Moskalik on Friday outside Moscow. Ukraine has not commented on the incident. Russian authorities released a video purporting to show Kuzin’s arrest on a forest road.
Ukraine accuses Putin of 'propaganda tricks' over Kursk claims
05:15 , Stuti MishraUkraine has denied Russian president Vladimir Putin’s claim that his forces have regained full control of the border region of Kursk, insisting that fighting is still ongoing.
“The Kyiv regime’s adventure has completely failed,” Mr Putin said on Saturday, congratulating Russian troops on what he described as a decisive victory over Ukraine’s surprise offensive launched last year. He claimed Russian forces had reestablished complete control over the region.
However, Ukraine’s Armed Forces rejected the statement, accusing Moscow of spreading “propaganda tricks.”
In a post on Telegram, it said: “The defensive operation of the Ukrainian Defence Forces in the designated areas in Kursk region continues. The operational situation is difficult, but our units continue to hold their positions and perform their assigned tasks.”
Ukraine’s military reported six combat engagements in the Kursk region on Saturday, saying at least one battle was still ongoing as of 4pm Kyiv time (1pm GMT). It also accused Russian forces of carrying out nearly 150 artillery strikes across the day.
