Ukrainian forces have pulled almost entirely out of the Kursk region of Russia, ending an offensive that had stunned the Kremlin over the summer with its speed and audacity.

The daring campaign Ukraine launched last summer to seize and occupy Russian territory appears to be nearing an end.

Ukraine has confirmed its withdrawal from the biggest town it held in Kursk, as Russia battles the last of Kyiv’s troops out of the key region. On Thursday, Russia announced it had recaptured the town of Sudzha in Kursk, seven months after Ukrainian forces seized the area in its August 2024 incursion.