Russia Retakes 2 Villages in Contested Kursk Region

Russian forces have retaken two villages in Kursk near the border with Ukraine following heavy fighting over the past month. Ukrainian troops pulled back from the villages of Darino and Nikolayevo-Darino, the latter of which directly borders Ukraine, a Russian commander said. “Our entire front has moved forward,” said Maj. Gen. Apti Alaudinov, adding that Russian forces were also advancing in eastern Ukraine. Alaudinov serves in the Russian National Guard’s 141st Motorized Regiment and as the head of the Defense Ministry’s military-political department. He was responsible for overseeing the integration of Wagner mercenaries into the Russian armed forces following a brief but dramatic uprising against military leadership in 2023....