Russian Forces Regain Control of Ukrainian Fortified Monastery in Kursk

Russian forces have reportedly recaptured a monastery in the Kursk region where Ukrainian troops had entrenched themselves, according to Russian state media on Tuesday (22.04.25). The TASS news agency reported that Russian forces regained control of the St. Nicholas Belogorski Monastery in the village of Gornal. A Telegram channel linked to Russia claimed Ukraine had deployed troops, artillery, and drone launch systems within the historic monastery after ten days of intense fighting, though Reuters could not independently verify these claims. Russia is gradually pushing back the remaining Ukrainian forces from the Kursk area, which they had invaded suddenly last August. Moscow responded by sending strong reinforcements, including soldiers from its ally North Korea. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force announced today that Russia launched 54 drones overnight, with 38 being shot down and 16 failing to reach their targets, likely due to electronic countermeasures. On the other hand, Russian anti-aircraft units destroyed 10 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to RIA Novosti citing the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Half of these were shot down over Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.