Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov inspected Chechen troops and volunteers preparing to fight in Ukraine during an unannounced visit to the North Caucasus republic, marking Putin’s first trip there in 13 years.

The visit comes as Moscow continues its efforts to repel Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region after a significant incursion, the largest since World War Two. At the Russian Special Forces University in Gudermes, Putin praised the troops, emphasizing their courage and commitment to defending the Fatherland.

Read more: Zelensky Announces Ukraine Plan for Kursk Buffer Zone as Kyiv Destroys Second Russian Bridge

Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights abuses and mobilizing Chechen forces, reported that Chechnya had sent over 47,000 troops to the frontlines since the war began, including 19,000 volunteers.

Earlier, Putin visited Beslan in North Ossetia for the first time in at least 16 years, where he met with the mothers of children killed in the 2004 school siege, Russia’s deadliest terrorist attack. He acknowledged the tragedy as an enduring wound in Russia’s history and warned that the country continues to face enemies seeking to destabilize it, drawing a parallel between past terrorist threats and the current conflict in the Kursk region and Donbas. Putin vowed to punish those responsible for the recent incursions.