Ukraine held an estimated 514 square miles of Russian territory at its high point on Aug. 24, 2024, but as of March 12, Russian forces had retaken slightly more than 70%.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces invaded as Russian and North Korean forces accelerated an advance in the region.

Ukrainian forces are under intense pressure in Russia's Kursk region, where they grabbed a chunk of land last August and have held on to it through more than seven months of fierce fighting.

Terrible though it is, Ukraine’s forced withdrawal from Kursk makes peace negotiations with Russia more likely. Indeed had Putin not been able to drive the Ukrainian army out, he is unlikely to have even contemplated peace talks.