Ukrainian forces have launched counteroffensives in Kursk to hold the captured territory.
The Ukrainian military has launched a new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region as Moscow’s forces continue to advance deep into eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Ukrainian forces were launching new attacks during their invasion of Russia, which began with a surprise attack in August.
Andriy Kovalenko, a senior official at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, appeared to confirm the operation in a Telegram post.
“In the Kursk region, Russians are deeply concerned. They were attacked on multiple fronts, which came as a surprise to them,” he said.
Andriy Yermak, head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the attack was successful.
“Kursk region, good news, Russia gets what it deserves,” he wrote on Sunday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said a Ukrainian counterattack began Sunday morning that included two tanks, an interdiction vehicle and 12 armored fighting vehicles carrying soldiers heading toward the Russian settlement of Berdin.
According to the ministry, most of them were destroyed. The ministry also released aerial photos of a drone allegedly loaded with explosives that took out a self-propelled artillery unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk.
The ministry said its soldiers killed 340 members of the Ukrainian armed forces last day.
According to the Russian military, Ukraine has lost more than 49,000 soldiers in Kursk since its offensive began in August, as well as 273 tanks, 44 missile launchers and hundreds of other vehicles and ammunition.
Ukraine claims Russia lost 430,000 soldiers in 2024 and that North Korean soldiers brought to Kursk recently suffered heavy losses on the front lines of Russian territory.
Russian forces have gradually pushed Ukrainian soldiers back from the occupied areas in Kursk, but have not been able to completely repel the offensive.
Zelensky said the territory held in Kursk could play a significant role in future “peace talks.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is ready for talks but remains prepared to continue the war for much longer.
Russian forces also continue to advance deep into Ukrainian territory and have gradually captured significant areas in the east of the country.
They have advanced more and more quickly in recent months and continue to try to take the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
Moscow vowed retaliation on Saturday after the Ukrainian military deployed additional US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
