The Telegraph: Putin aiming to recapture Russian territory under Ukrainian control before Trump’s inauguration

Vladimir Putin aims to bring territories in Russia's Kursk region, currently held by Ukrainian forces, back under Russian control by the time of Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, reports The Telegraph.

According to the publication, Western diplomats believe that Putin will try to quickly reclaim the territory in the Kursk region that was seized by Ukrainian forces during their offensive in August, in order to strengthen Russia’s position in any potential peace negotiations.

The Telegraph cites the same estimate of troop numbers deployed in the Kursk region — around 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops — as previously reported by The New York Times.

In August, The New York Times, citing American officials, wrote that Russia would need at least 50,000 troops to push Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region.

The Telegraph also notes that Ukrainian analysts believe the Russian authorities could be planning to use the offensive in the Kursk region as a springboard for advancing into Ukraine’s Sumy region.

As of mid-October, Russia has managed to reclaim about half of the territory that Ukrainian forces had seized during their August operation, The Telegraph reports.