Ukraine launches surprise operation in Kursk region, according to reports
Ukraine launches surprise operation in Kursk region, according to reports
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Footage purports to show Ukrainian armoured columns advancing towards village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe. Ukrainian armed forces have begun a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian officials and Russian military bloggers. Video showed Ukrainian armoured columns advancing across snowy fields towards the village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe, north-east of the Ukrainian-held Russian town of Sudzha. The scale of the Sunday morning operation was not immediately clear.
There were unconfirmed reports Ukrainian troops had captured the Russian settlement of Berdin and that Ukrainian sappers had removed mines overnight. Fierce fighting was taking place, with electronic countermeasures used to knock out some Russian drones.
Ukraine launched a significant cross-border raid nearly six month ago into the Kursk region. Since then the Kremlin has been attempting to evict Ukrainian forces. It has had some success – recapturing about 40% of lost territory – but has been unable to push them out fully.
Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, suggested the attack had been successful. “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves,” he wrote on Sunday. Andriy Kovalenko, a senior official with Ukraine’s national security and defence council, confirmed the operation. “In the Kursk region the Russians are deeply concerned. They were attacked on multiple fronts, which came as a surprise to them,” he posted on Telegram.
