In an attempt to retaliate after months of pressure ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Ukraine began a surprise fresh incursion in Russia’s Kursk region on Sunday.
When Kyiv’s forces first rushed across the border in a spectacular invasion last August, the attack seemed to be an attempt to take fresh territory in the region. Since then, the Kremlin has reclaimed some of its own territory, but it has had difficulty driving out the invading forces—in recent weeks, thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent in.
Before officials in Kyiv and later Moscow’s defense ministry confirmed Ukrainian forces had launched a new onslaught, reports of the new offensive initially surfaced from the accounts of Russia’s prominent military bloggers early on Sunday.
It was not immediately apparent how serious the assault was, and NBC News was unable to independently confirm the allegations.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, stated on Telegram that the Defense Forces are working hard. Given that they were unexpectedly attacked on multiple fronts, the situation in the Kursk region appears to be generating serious anxiety among the Russians.
Additionally, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said, “Good news, Kursk region: Russia is getting what it deserves.”
Russia’s defense ministry was quoted by state media hours later as stating that its forces had repulsed two Ukrainian strikes in Kursk on Sunday.
The defense ministry stated that the North group in the Kursk direction had “overall, over the past 24 hours, defeated the forces of 14 Ukrainian brigades and repelled two counterattacks,” according to Russia’s RIA official news agency.
The offensive comes after Ukraine suffered setbacks for months.
The U.S. ally’s military has struggled with low morale and manpower in the face of a flurry of Russian attacks since the surprise invasion into Russia in August.
Despite being on the defensive as the Kremlin’s military tries to reclaim ground there and seize fresh land by moving across the war’s eastern frontlines, Kyiv’s forces have mainly resisted Russian attempts to drive them out of Kursk.
The fiercest front, according to the Ukrainian military on Saturday, is close to Pokrovsk, a crucial rail and road hub that Russia has been pursuing for months.
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