On Sunday, Russia announced that Ukraine had started a counter-attack in the Kursk region, which is in western Russia. This area has been a battleground for five months, with Russian troops trying to push out Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian soldiers surprised everyone by entering the area on August 6 and have since held onto some land. This area is important as it could help Ukraine in future peace talks.
At around 9:00 AM Moscow time, Ukraine launched a counter-attack with a group of two tanks and twelve armored vehicles filled with troops, targeting the village of Berdin. Russia’s defense ministry claimed that their artillery and air support defeated this Ukrainian attack, saying two assaults were turned back.
However, some Russian war bloggers, who support their country’s military efforts but often highlight issues, suggested that Ukraine’s latest offensive had forced Russian troops to go on the defensive. One blogger indicated that the push from Ukraine might be a distraction to prepare for a larger strike elsewhere, and he advised people living nearby to evacuate.
Additionally, there are reports that around 11,000 North Korean troops have been sent to assist Russian forces in Kursk, although Russia has not confirmed this. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that Russian and North Korean soldiers faced heavy losses, reporting that up to a battalion—a unit usually made up of several hundred troops—was lost in fighting in the village of Makhnovka.
Despite controlling about 20% of Ukraine, Russia’s attempts to drive Ukrainian forces out have been met with unexpected success from Ukraine, which may help them in possible negotiations later this year. Both sides are trying to improve their positions before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in January, who has promised to end the war quickly.
While Ukraine focuses its forces on the Kursk front, Russian troops are gaining ground in eastern Ukraine, with recent advances being the fastest they’ve seen since 2022. Recently, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 61 out of 103 Russian drones launched in an overnight attack, while Russia claimed it had taken down five Ukrainian drones over its territory.
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