Ukraine launches strategic offensive in Russia's Kursk region
Several Russian war channels are reporting that Ukrainian forces are advancing in Russia's Kursk region. According to WarGonzo, Ukrainian troops are attempting to press forward from the city of Sudzha. The channels "Operation Z" and "Military Informant" report, the main assault direction is the area near the village of Berdyn in the Bolshesoldatsky district of Kursk.
Russian war bloggers indicate that Ukrainian forces are moving along the 38K-004 highway. Video footage released online shows substantial convoys of tanks and armored vehicles. “Archangel of Special Forces Z” and “Two Majors” channels also detailed, advances towards the village of Berdyn, as well as the villages of Pushkarnoye, Leonidovo, and Nikolskoye. Several channels mention an offensive involving six brigades, though others dispute this. “Military Informant” notes that Ukraine is deploying additional troops to the field following losses in the vanguard, suggesting a deliberate large-scale breakthrough attempt.
Numerous Russian military sources highlight the increased use of electronic warfare systems by Ukrainian troops during this offensive.
Trumpeting the need for fiber-optic FPV drones to counter this, propagandists illustrate footage of Russian drones attacking Ukrainian armored vehicles, only to quickly lose signal and falter.
Former advisor to the governor of the Kursk region, Roman Alekhin, also corroborated reports of the area under attack being heavily shielded by these systems. He suggests many Russian drones will be rendered pointless, though the adversary employs "Lancet" drones and fiber-optic technology. Currently, Russian military correspondents indicate concentrated pressure on the Bolshe-Soldatskoye front, with assaults commencing in the southwest of the Kursk region, near Tetkino.
The offensive by Ukrainian forces in Kursk has been confirmed by Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defense has also acknowledged the offensive, claiming that Ukrainian forces suffered losses of up to 340 personnel and four tanks.
“Units from the "North" group of forces delivered blows to formations from four mechanized, four airborne assault brigades, a marine brigade, and five territorial defense units in the Darino, Kurilovka, Nizhniy Klin, Nikolaevo-Darino, Alexandria, Leonidovo, Nikolskoye, Kazachya Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Makhnovka, Melovaya, Stara Sorochina, Nova Sorochina, Russkiy Porremen, and Sudsky regions. Two Ukrainian assault group counterattacks were repelled,” reported the Russian Defense Ministry.
On January 1, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the Kursk region. Footage posted by Syrskyi suggests he visited the 225th Assault Battalion and the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade of Ukraine's armed forces. Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko notes that the commander’s visit to such a highly dangerous zone was not just to reward troops.