5th January 2025 – (Moscow) On 5th January, 2025, Russia reported that Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive in the Kursk region, a western area from which Russian forces have sought to dislodge Ukrainian troops for the past five months. This follows a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces on 6th August, which allowed them to secure a strategic foothold.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Ukrainian troops initiated their counter-attack around 9am Moscow time, deploying an assault group comprising two tanks, a mine-clearing vehicle, and twelve armoured combat vehicles towards Berdin village. The ministry claimed that Russian artillery and aviation effectively repelled the assault, stating that two Ukrainian attacks had been thwarted. However, independent verification of these claims remains unavailable.
Reports from Russian war bloggers, who typically support Moscow’s military efforts but have critiqued its shortcomings, indicate that the recent Ukrainian offensive has placed Russian forces on the back foot. The Operativnye Svodki channel noted intense artillery exchanges and the use of Western armoured vehicles by Ukraine to transport infantry.
Fighting has been reported just north of a highway connecting Sudzha to Kursk, the regional capital. However, influential blogger Yuri Podolyak suggested that the Ukrainian action might serve as a diversion to facilitate a strike on Glushkovo, further west, advising civilians in the area to evacuate.
Ukrainian and Western assessments indicate that approximately 11,000 troops from North Korea, a Russian ally, have been deployed in the Kursk region to bolster Moscow’s efforts, although Russia has not confirmed their presence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed significant losses for both Russian and North Korean forces in recent battles near Makhnovka, stating that up to a battalion of North Korean infantry and Russian paratroopers had been lost.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Ukrainian forces would eventually be driven out of Kursk, although he did not specify a timeline. Currently, Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine, but Ukraine’s ability to retain territory could enhance its leverage in any future peace negotiations.
Both nations are working to strengthen their military positions ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. Ukrainian military officials indicated that the most intense fighting is occurring near Pokrovsk, a crucial road and rail hub.
Additionally, on January 5, Ukraine’s air defences successfully shot down 61 out of 103 drones launched by Russia during an overnight assault, while Russia claimed to have destroyed five Ukrainian drones over its territory.
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