(CLO) Russia said on Sunday (January 5) that Ukraine had launched a new offensive in Kursk province, a western Russian region that Kiev has captured and partially controlled over the past five months.
Pavlo Narozhnyi, founder of the Reactive Post organization and a military expert, spoke to Ukraine's Radio NV about the increased activity of Kiev's army in Russia's Kursk region.
Narozhnyi said the Ukrainian military's actions could be aimed at distracting the Russian military, forcing it to shift forces from other areas, such as Kupyansk, to counter the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk province.
He described the operation as a key success, saying it demonstrated Ukraine’s strength and ability to make bold moves. He noted that 50,000-60,000 Russian troops were currently “locked down” in Kursk, reducing their presence in key areas such as Pokrovsk.
The new Ukrainian offensive in some areas of Kursk was initially reported by Russian sources and later confirmed by Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces were pushing back Ukrainian forces but some reports from Russian military bloggers suggested the Russian side was under intense pressure.
Artillery brigade operating during the Kursk operation. Photo: Ukrainian Army
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, posted on Telegram that there was “good news” from Kursk, adding: “Russia is getting what it deserves.”
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Countering Disinformation Center, later wrote on Telegram that Russian troops had been attacked in several places.
The Russian statement said Ukraine attacked at around 06:00 GMT Sunday near the village of Berdin with two tanks, a mine-clearing vehicle and 12 armoured personnel carriers.
“Artillery and air power of the Northern (Russian) group of forces defeated the attack group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the report added. The statement said two Ukrainian attacks were repelled.
Later, influential military blogger Yuri Podolyak said Russian units had gained control of the situation after initial "mistakes" and surrounded Ukrainian forces north of the highway leading to the regional capital Kursk.
Kursk's acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein, has urged people to trust only official sources of information and warned displaced residents not to return to unsafe areas without permission.
Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine, the Russian military reported advances near the town of Kurakhove, a strategic area in Donetsk.
The DeepState monitoring group said Russian troops had entered Kurakhove and Toretsk, and released video of a Russian convoy entering the village of Yelyzavetivka before coming under heavy fire. A Russian military blog claimed that a special forces team raised the Russian flag on the western outskirts of Kurakhove.
Bui Huy (according to VOU, TASS, KI)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chuyen-gia-quan-su-phan-tich-chien-luoc-dang-sau-cuoc-tan-cong-moi-cua-ukraine-o-kursk-post329113.html
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