Ukraine has initiated a new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. In a statement, the ministry confirmed that efforts to thwart the Ukrainian assault groups are ongoing. Ukrainian officials have also hinted at the operation taking place.
Ukraine first entered Russia’s Kursk region in August of last year, securing a portion of territory. In the months that followed, Russian forces made significant advances, pushing the Ukrainians back, but they have not managed to expel them entirely.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence shared an update, stating that around 9 am Moscow time, Ukrainian forces launched a counter-offensive in an attempt to stop Russian troops advancing in the Kursk direction.
The assault group, according to the Russian ministry, included two tanks, one counter-obstacle vehicle, and 12 armored fighting vehicles.
Several Russian military bloggers provided further details on the attack, reporting that it originated from the Ukrainian base in Sudzha, targeting the villages of Berdin and Bolshoye Soldatskoye, a district center located on the route to Kursk city.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, shared some optimism about the situation, calling it “good news from Kursk Region” and adding that Russia was “getting what it deserves.”
Ukraine’s top counter-disinformation official, Andriy Kovalenko, also commented on the attack, saying in a Telegram post that the Russians in Kursk were “experiencing great anxiety” as the attack came from multiple directions, catching them by surprise.
It remains unclear if this offensive is significant enough to result in any major shifts along the front lines. Russian blogger Yury Podolyaka suggested that the operation may have been a diversion, while another blogger, Alexander Kots, speculated that the main attack could be launched elsewhere.
Ukraine’s forces are reportedly facing shortages in manpower and have been losing ground in the eastern parts of the country in recent months, as Russian troops continue their advances.
The new developments come amid reports from the Ukrainian Air Force that Russia launched another drone attack on Ukraine overnight.
The Air Force said it successfully shot down 61 drones over multiple regions, including Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyy. While there were no direct hits, a few houses in Kharkiv Region were damaged by an intercepted drone.
In November, Ukraine reported combat involving North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. The North Korean presence came in response to a surprise Ukrainian attack in August, which saw Ukrainian troops advancing up to 18 miles (30 km) into Russian territory.
Moscow responded by evacuating nearly 200,000 people from areas along the border, and President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian offensive as a “major provocation.”
After two weeks of fighting, Ukraine’s top commander claimed to have control over more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian land and 93 villages, although some of this territory has since been reclaimed by Russia.