WP: Ukraine gains minimal ground during counterattack in Russia's Kursk Oblast

The Washington Post (WP) has released an article stating that after almost a week of active fighting on the Kursk front, Ukraine's progress was minimal, with minor gains in some areas, but Russia advanced on the left flank and captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Source: WP

Details: WP noted that Ukraine is gradually losing territory due to intense Russian attacks.

"'Those were difficult days," a Ukrainian soldier deployed to the region wrote in a message. "Russians attacked from different directions at the same time. They succeeded in some of them. … They crossed the border [into Ukraine] in a few points, but we managed to retake the positions."

The journalists write that Ukraine's continued focus on Kursk shows the region's importance to Kyiv. As Trump's inauguration approaches, this could increase pressure on both sides to reach a negotiated settlement.

Russia, meanwhile, is seeking to regain control of the area but maintains a significant portion of its military forces in Ukraine’s east, where Russian forces reportedly captured the Ukrainian town of Kurakhove this week. Ukrainian officials denied the reports on the morning of 11 January.

As Trump's inauguration approaches, Moscow, which has a superiority in power and resources, has less reason than Ukraine to believe that Trump’s rise to power will be an immediate game changer, WP notes.

The article also talks about the North Korean military, which "often appeared to ignore drones flying above and moved ahead even as their comrades were wounded or killed beside them". Russian troops are following them to consolidate their gains.

Last month, as soldier Oleh said, 400 to 500 North Korean troops attacked Ukrainian positions, far outnumbering the Ukrainian military. The battle lasted eight hours until the Ukrainians used up all their ammunition and were forced to retreat.

WP stressed that the Ukrainians had captured one North Korean and provided him with first aid, but the soldier died of his wounds before he could be interrogated.

Oleh said that the North Koreans had a completely different approach to combat: "They are very fresh. When Russians assault our positions and experience losses, they retreat. But North Koreans just keep moving forward."

Background: On the night of 4-5 January, Ukrainian defence forces launched an offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. In particular, it was reported that the Ukrainians were advancing from Sudzha towards the village of Bolshoye Soldatskoye.

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