Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation, has confirmed that Ukraine’s counteroffensive is underway. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, however, chose not to comment after being approached by POLITICO for a statement.
In August 2024, Ukraine carried out a surprise cross-border raid, surpassing Russian border defenses and seizing control of towns and villages in Russia’s Kursk region. Despite Moscow’s attempt to bolster its forces by deploying North Korean troops, Russian forces have struggled to reclaim lost territory.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the toll this engagement was taking on Russia. “Near just one village, Makhnovka, in the Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops. This is significant,” he remarked.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces documented 179 distinct clashes along the tense frontline that same day. Among the areas of conflict were the northeastern city of Kharkiv and Pokrovsk, a key city in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Ukrainian estimates suggest that around 1,730 Russian personnel were either killed or captured during these battles.

“Good news,” stated Andrii Yermak, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Reporting by Veronika Melkozerova from Kyiv and Gabriel Gavin from Prague.













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