Vladimir Putin has made his first visit to the Kursk region since Russia claimed it had recaptured the area following a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year — the first ground invasion of Russian territory by foreign troops since World War II.

Russia has announced that its troops have fully reclaimed the Kursk region, nearly nine months after losing chunks of the border territory to a surprise Ukrainian incursion.

President Vladimir Putin visited Russia’s Kursk region for the first time since Moscow claimed that it drove Ukrainian forces out of the area last month, the Kremlin said Wednesday. Putin visited the region bordering Ukraine the previous day, according to the Kremlin.