The announcement comes as Russian troops are close to driving out Ukrainian troops from their last foothold in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a command center in Kursk on Wednesday, ordering troops there to "destroy" all Ukrainian formations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has announced it has taken over Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region that has been overrun by Ukrainian forces since the surprise cross border offensive in August ...

Dressed in military fatigues for a surprise visit to soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to swiftly recapture the rest of the area ...