Ukraine's Kursk struggle: Potential shift in power balance
If Ukraine loses control of the occupied part of the Kursk region, Russia may launch a large-scale offensive and take over more territories, including the Sumy region, which borders Kursk, reports The Washington Post.
The situation around Kursk highlights the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which are intensifying ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration. The conflict in the region has become a significant element in a broader struggle where both sides aim to improve their positions before potential peace talks.
A week ago, Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in the region, attempting to reclaim part of the territory they initially gained last summer and then lost. "But almost a week into the new operation in Kursk, little progress appears to have been made, with Ukraine making very modest gains in some areas but Russia advancing steadily along the left flank and taking prisoners," we read.
– Those were difficult days. 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 – said a Ukrainian soldier stationed in the region.
Ukraine's continued focus on Kursk indicates how important it is for Kyiv to maintain this territory, especially in the context of the upcoming Trump presidency, which may increase pressure on both sides to sit at the negotiating table, writes the newspaper.
Ukrainian officials also warned that if their forces retreat across the border, the 60,000 soldiers that Kyiv claims Russia has deployed in the region would follow them into Ukraine and seize more territories.
Attack on the Kursk region in Russia
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6, 2024. It was explained at that time that one of the goals of their offensive was to force the Russians to divert part of their forces from the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. By the end of August, Kyiv controlled 1,240 square kilometres of this region, but since September, Ukrainian forces began to lose ground due to a counteroffensive by the Russian army. In November, sources in the Ukrainian army reported that they now only controlled about 800 square kilometres of Russian territory.
According to Western sources, more than 10,000 soldiers from North Korea are supporting the Russians in the battles in the Kursk region. The General Staff in Kyiv reported on Tuesday that Ukraine's Special Operations Forces eliminated 13 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.
Earlier, on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed during a visit to Seoul that at least 1,000 North Korean soldiers participating in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia had been killed or wounded.
