Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the western Kursk region on Wednesday for the first time since Moscow announced it had regained full control of the area from Ukrainian forces, according to a report by Sputnik News.

During the visit, Putin toured the construction site of the Kursk II Nuclear Power Plant and held a meeting with the mayors of the Kurchatov district, as confirmed by an official statement from the Kremlin.

“In the city of Kurchatov, President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the mayors of the Kursk region. He also visited the under-construction Kursk II Nuclear Power Plant,” the Kremlin noted in the statement.

The visit is seen as part of Russia’s broader effort to consolidate its political and economic presence in regions near the front lines, following months of intense military operations in the area.