MOSCOW - The Russian military operation to retake the Kursk region from Ukrainian armed forces entered its final stage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited one of the command posts in the Kursk region on Wednesday evening, and was briefed by senior commanders that Russia is close to liberating the territory of the Kursk region from Ukrainian armed forces, reported the TASS news agency.

Putin emphasized the urgency of swiftly concluding the operation and establishing a security zone in the region.

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said that the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region had been isolated and were being systematically destroyed.

The large-scale offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region began in August 2024.