President Vladimir Putin visited the southwestern Kursk region for the first time since Russia’s military said it cleared the area of Ukrainian forces following months of cross-border fighting.

The Kremlin released a video early Wednesday of Putin meeting with local volunteers, including members of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin-aligned All-Russia People’s Front, but did not specify when the visit took place.

During the visit, the Russian president accused Ukrainian forces of destroying Soviet World War II memorials in the region, calling them “people with neo-Nazi views.”

“They’d win second place in an idiot contest. Why? Because they’re idiots,” Putin said of Ukrainian soldiers. “By doing what they do, they show who they really are.”