MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday it had made a significant advance in eastern Ukraine as its forces continued to repel a major Ukrainian attack in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Russian military bloggers.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had captured the town of Kurakhove, located 32 km south of Pokrovsk, a major Ukrainian logistics center towards which Russia has been advancing for several months.
The capture of Kurakhove will allow Russian forces to accelerate the pace of their advance in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the ministry said.
At the same time, Russian military bloggers reported that Ukraine was attacking for the second day in a row in Russia’s Kursk region, with one calling the situation worrying.
Ukraine launched a new offensive against this region on Sunday where its forces crossed the border on August 6 and have since managed to retain part of the territory.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces repelled the first Ukrainian attacks on Sunday, just north of a highway leading to the regional capital, Kursk.
But Russian military bloggers, a group of war correspondents and experts who support Moscow’s offensive while often criticizing its shortcomings, made clear that fierce fighting continued for a second day.
“The morning in the Kursk region begins again in an ominous manner. It is obvious that yesterday’s failure will not stop the enemy and that he will try to impose his will on us again today”, posted a blogger, Youri Podoliaka, on Telegram.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory after nearly three years of war, but Ukraine’s unexpected offensive in the Kursk region could strengthen its position in possible peace negotiations.
Both sides are working to improve their positions on the ground before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. The latter has repeatedly said that he will quickly end the war, without specifying how.
(Written by Mark Trevelyan and Maxim Rodionov, French version Noémie Naudin, edited by Blandine Hénault)
