Ukraine had hoped it could use the land it had seized in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia, which launched its full invasion in 2022 and has currently controls around 20% of Ukraine's internationally-recognised territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his country has regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year, though Ukraine’s army says fighting continues.

The Russian military had lost 62,400 soldiers in Kursk Oblast since the start of the Ukrainian army's military operation there last year, Ukraine's General Staff said on April 26.