Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia's Kursk region

07-Jan-2025

.

Ukraine has launched a fresh offensive in Russia's Kursk region, the Russian defence ministry says.

In a statement, the ministry said efforts to destroy the Ukrainian attack groups were ongoing. Officials in Ukraine have also suggested an operation is under way.

Ukraine first launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August last year, seizing a chunk of territory.

In recent months, Russian forces have made big gains in the area, pushing the Ukrainians back, but failing to eject them entirely.

In a statement posted on Telegram on Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said: "At around 9am Moscow time, in order to stop the offensive by the Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counter-attack by an assault detachment consisting of two tanks, one counter-obstacle vehicle, and 12 armoured fighting vehicles."

Several Russian military bloggers gave more details about the attack, saying it was launched from the Ukrainians' base at Sudzha towards the villages of Berdin and Bolshoye Soldatskoye, a district centre on the way to Kursk city.

The head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said there "was good news from Kursk Region" and that Russia was "getting what it deserves".