The Ukrainian military has initiated a new offensive in the Kursk region of Russia, as detailed in reports from the Russian Defense Ministry and field-based accounts. Kyiv has announced that active military confrontations are taking place in the region.
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According to a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on January 5, the Ukrainian armed forces initiated a counteroffensive around 9 a.m. Moscow time, aiming to halt the progression of Russian troops in the Kursk direction. The statement maintains that Russian troops are consistently overcoming Ukrainian forces.
Late on January 5, the General Staff of Ukraine reported 44 conflicts in the region, with at least nine still ongoing as darkness descended. However, a new offensive was not explicitly confirmed. The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their operation in the Kursk region, according to a statement on Telegram. It was revealed that out of the 44 known combat clashes, 35 have been resolved, while the rest are still ongoing.
The extent of the current offensive and its potential impact on the front line is yet to be determined. However, certain Ukrainian officials have hinted at the possibility of a new initiative. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, expressed optimism about the situation in the Kursk region and affirmed that Russia was facing consequences. Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation, stated that Russian forces in Kursk were taken by surprise by attacks from multiple directions.
Ukrainian forces first crossed the border in an unexpected incursion on August 6 and have since then resisted Russian efforts to completely oust them. More recently, despite the support of thousands of North Korean soldiers, Russian forces have advanced but have not been successful in entirely removing Ukrainian troops.
The offensive is believed to have been initiated from the district center of Sudzha, which has been under Ukrainian control since August, towards Bolshoye Soldatskoye, located approximately 70 kilometers from the administrative center of the Kursk region, Kursk city.
Russian Defense Ministry claims to have repelled a Ukrainian assault near the village of Berdin, roughly 15 kilometers from the border.
According to Russian pro-war accounts on Telegram, the attack is being led with armored and mine-clearing vehicles, and electronic warfare systems, which are reportedly effectively countering Russian drones. Online videos allegedly show columns of Ukrainian military vehicles swiftly traversing the snow-laden terrain in the Kursk region.
The MIG Rossyy channel reported that the Ukrainian military has had “local successes”, indicating that this is not merely a sluggish maneuver of small sabotage groups, but a full-scale attempt to attack.
About half of the initial offensive’s seized land has been recovered since August, but Kyiv still holds Sudzha and approximately 500 square kilometers of Russian territory.
In November, Ukraine reported its forces had engaged with North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, with Ukrainian officials claiming that North Korean forces are incurring heavy losses.
The introduction of North Korean troops came following Ukraine’s cross-border offensive, which Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned as a “major provocation.”
As Kyiv launches its January attacks, its forces are reportedly facing manpower shortages and losing ground in eastern Ukraine. This development comes before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, who has previously stated that resolving the war in Ukraine would be a top priority on his first day in office.
Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration’s incoming envoy for Ukraine and Russia, has been designated to lead negotiations to end the war, and has also stated that potential ceasefire talks could begin once Trump assumes office.
During a January 2 broadcast on Ukrainian television, Zelenskiy stated that operations in Kursk play a crucial role in countering any international perceptions that Kyiv is losing the war.
In an interview with U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelenskiy stated that security guarantees for Ukraine in any future peace deal would only be effective if provided by the United States, and expressed his desire to meet Trump soon after his inauguration.
The article is reported by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and dpa.
