Ukrainian troops strike at the positions of the Russian front in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Photo: Yevhen Maloletka/AP
On Monday, Russia claimed important gains in Ukraine’s Donetsk region while holding back a Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region of western Russia. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, its forces captured the town of Kurakhove, located 32 km south of Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub for Ukraine, Reutersreports.
Situation in Donbas
Russia’s Ministry of Defence says that the capture of Kurakhove, which had been held for several weeks, will allow it to accelerate its offensive in Donetsk region. The village of Dachenske near Pokrovsk also came under Russian control.
However, Viktor Tregubov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Khortytsia group of troops, said that as of Monday morning, the fighting for Kurakhove was ongoing. The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff reported 25 Russian attacks on positions around the town in its evening report, but did not confirm the loss of Kurakhove.
Ukrainian bloggers claim that the town is under constant shelling by rockets and bombs. The DeepState monitoring group points out that most of Kurakhove is already under Russian control.
Offensive in the Kursk region
Ukraine is conducting an offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says has caused significant losses to the enemy. In a nightly address, Zelenskyy said a buffer zone had been created to prevent Moscow from moving troops to key areas of the eastern front.
“During the Kursk operation, the enemy lost 38,000 soldiers, 15,000 of whom were irretrievably lost,” Zelensky said.
Russia, on the other hand, claims that the Ukrainian offensive has been halted and the main force destroyed near the village of Berdin. Major General Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen unit, warned of new Ukrainian attacks in another direction.
International reaction
The US, UK and EU reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, stressing that Kyiv has the right to defend itself even beyond its borders.
“Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine includes numerous attacks from the Kursk region,” said Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief.
The United States also said that more than 1,000 North Korean troops supporting Moscow were killed or wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region.
Preparing for peace talks
Both sides are trying to strengthen their positions on the battlefield ahead of possible talks called for by US President-elect Donald Trump. His inauguration is scheduled for 20 January, and he has promised to bring the nearly three-year war to a swift end.
Conclusion: The escalation of fighting in Donbas and Russia demonstrates the tensions that are growing ahead of possible changes in international policy towards the conflict.
