KYIV — Ukrainian forces have initiated a significant counterattack deep into Russian territory on Sunday, leading to intense clashes along the front lines of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Recent footage shared online shows columns of Ukrainian armored vehicles making advances in the region, with local media reporting that Kyiv’s troops are advancing toward the villages of Velykye Soldatske and Pushkarne.
Andrii Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, shared optimistic news on Telegram, stating, “The Russians are getting what they deserve in the Kursk region.”
In addition, Andriy Kovalenko, head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed the commencement of the counteroffensive. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces refrained from commenting following a request from POLITICO.
Ukraine’s surprise cross-border raid in August 2024 overwhelmed Russian border guards, capturing towns and villages in the Kursk region. Despite Moscow’s efforts to bolster its defenses by drafting North Korean troops, the Russian armed forces have struggled to regain lost ground.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy noted that the engagement is proving costly for the Kremlin. He reported that near the village of Makhnovka, the Russian army suffered significant losses, with up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroopers reportedly killed.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 179 separate clashes along the tense line of contact on the same day, with skirmishes occurring around the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the city of Pokrovsk in the Donbas region. They estimated that as many as 1,730 Russian personnel were killed or captured during these assaults.
