Russian troops backed by aircraft and artillery have repelled a fresh Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s western Kursk region, according to Moscow’s defense ministry.
“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralize an enemy group which broke into the territory of Kursk region,” the ministry said in a Jan. 5 statement.
“Two counterattacks launched by [Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)] assault detachments were repelled.”
According to the ministry, the offensive was staged by a Ukrainian detachment consisting of paratroopers, two combat tanks, and a dozen armored vehicles.
“The operation to neutralize the AFU units is in progress,” the ministry stated.
As of publication time, Ukraine’s military had yet to acknowledge a renewed push in the Russian border region.
“Russia is getting what it deserves,” Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging platform.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Kyiv’s counter-disinformation center, also appeared to confirm that Ukrainian forces had launched a multipronged offensive in Kursk.
The Epoch Times could not independently verify claims made by either side.
In August 2024, Kyiv launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region, which shares a border with northeastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops initially managed to capture several hundred square miles of territory, roughly half of which has since been taken back by Russian forces.
Despite continued Russian counterattacks, Ukraine still holds a sliver of territory in Kursk, which Kyiv hopes to use as a bargaining chip in future cease-fire talks.
On Jan. 6, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that Ukraine’s current position in Kursk would be a “factor” in future peace talks with Russia.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian and U.S. officials have alleged that thousands of North Korean troops are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk.
Moscow and Pyongyang, which recently signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement, have neither confirmed nor denied the claims.
Over the weekend, Zelenskyy repeated allegations that both Russian and North Korean troops in Kursk were sustaining heavy losses.
“In battles yesterday and today near just one village ... the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops,” Zelenskyy said on Jan. 4.
Moscow Claims Major Gains in Donetsk
Meanwhile, on the eastern front, Russian forces captured the heavily fortified town of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, Russia’s defense ministry said on Jan. 6.Kurakhove sits roughly 20 miles south of Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian logistics hub toward which Russian forces have been steadily advancing for months.
According to the defense ministry, the fall of Kurakhove will allow Russian forces to step up the pace of their ongoing advance in Donetsk.
On the same day, the ministry also announced that its forces had taken the village of Dachenske, which sits less than five miles from Pokrovsk.
Officials in Kyiv have yet to confirm the reported losses.
In 2022, Russia invaded and effectively annexed four regions of eastern and southeastern Ukraine, including Donetsk.
Kyiv, backed by its Western allies, has vowed to continue fighting—despite steadily dwindling military resources—for the recovery of all lost territory.
Russia demands the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from all territories claimed by Moscow as a precondition for ending the conflict, which is set to enter its fourth year in February.
