Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the recapture of all parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces while visiting the area.



Wearing military camouflage, Putin visited the western Russian region on Wednesday for the first time since Ukraine launched its cross-border attacks in August last year.



The chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, briefed the president that Russian troops have reclaimed more than 86 percent of the areas in Kursk previously seized by Ukrainian forces.



Putin said that Russia's immediate goal is to defeat the entrenched Ukrainian forces in Kursk as soon as possible and fully liberate the region.



Russia's defense ministry announced on Thursday that its forces had recaptured the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region.



Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said in a social media post on the previous day that fighting was continuing around Sudzha.



Syrskyi said his priority is to protect the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, and that, for this reason, some troops are repositioning to more advantageous locations when necessary.



Ukraine reportedly wants to use the territory it holds in Kursk as a bargaining chip in negotiations. Any forced withdrawal could be a setback for Kyiv.