Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the town of Kurchatov in the Kursk region, which was partially occupied by Ukrainian forces for several months last year, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

It was the Russian leader’s first trip to the region since a Ukrainian incursion last year.

Putin met with regional governor Alexander Khinshtein, volunteer organizations and local officials on Tuesday evening. He pledged continued support from Moscow for rebuilding efforts, particularly for housing damaged in the conflict, the Kremlin said.

The president also visited a unit at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant No. 2, which is currently under construction.

Last August, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise offensive into the Kursk region and held a small swathe of territory for several months. Russia’s military declared the region “completely liberated” in late April.

Sumy region under fire

The Ukrainian region of Sumy, which sits just across the border from Kursk, has been under sustained Russian bombardment for months.
Industrial facilities and power lines were damaged by overnight drone attacks, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Wednesday, and part of the regional capital is without power.

Separately, Ukrainian authorities said that six soldiers were killed and more than 10 others wounded in a Russian missile strike on a military training ground in Sumy.

The National Guard of Ukraine announced the casualties on Facebook, adding that investigations have been launched.

Russia’s Defence Ministry on Tuesday evening released drone footage purporting to show a missile strike on a Ukrainian unit near the town of Shostka. According to Moscow, the attack was carried out using an Iskander ballistic missile and killed up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed an ammunition depot and military equipment.

Ukrainian members of parliament indirectly confirmed the strike shortly after the video was released, though they did not provide casualty figures.

Ukraine has been fighting off Russia’s full-scale invasion for more than three years.