The Ukrainian Army launched a military offensive on Russian territory early this Sunday, January 5, from the positions taken by its soldiers in the month of August in the Kursk region. The advance, which has had significant support from electronic warfare units, occurs just two weeks before the inauguration of the US president-elect, Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian military counteroffensive, the first since it decided to advance on Russian territory in August 2024, began during the early hours of the morning when several anti-mining units opened the way for a large group of armored vehicles that entered Russian territory from the positions still controls the Ukrainian Army in the Kursk region.
Numerous Russian military information channels have raised the alarm since early hours about the activity detected by Russian forces in the area, who have seen how the support of units dedicated to electronic warfare has left the numerous Russian and Russian drones almost useless. They have even questioned elements as necessary for war as the Internet or some radars.
Although the Ukrainian advance is currently unknown, both Ukrainian and Russian sources recognize important “tactical advances” that would be concentrated around two towns: Berdin and Tetkino.
The chief of staff of the president of Ukraine, Andrí Yermak, took the offensive for granted this morning through a message on the Telegram application: “Kursk, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves.”
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the Ukrainian attack: “To counteract the advance of Russian forces in the Kursk direction, Ukrainian troops launched a counterattack at around 9:00 AM Moscow time.”
Already early in the afternoon, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that it had carried out a total of 42 combats in the Russian Kursk region this Sunday and that 12 were still active.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive occurs just two weeks after the inauguration of the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, who stated during the election campaign that pitted him against Democrat Kamala Harris that he would end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours.” and that he met with President Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Ukrainian president defended this week that he believes that “Trump is strong and unpredictable” and that he would very much like “for President Trump’s unpredictability to be directed mainly towards the Russian Federation.”
The occupation of Russian territory could seek to achieve a strengthened negotiating position for the Ukrainians before the return to power of the American magnate and be a way to counteract the Russian advances in the second half of 2024. Already in his December visit to Brussels, Zelensky defended that kyiv must come to this negotiation with the greatest possible strength.
In an extensive analysis on the social networkdefense analyst specializing in Russia Michael Kofman predicted this Saturday that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could attempt a new offensive this winter similar to the Kursk operation in search of “changing the narrative and obtaining more Russian territory with which to negotiate.” .
Kofman warned, however, that although this type of decision could generate “tactical successes” for the Ukrainians, it could pose “considerable risk” for other parts of the war front.
Ukraine entered the Russian Kursk region in August and within a month managed to take control of 1,100 square kilometers. After five months of fighting, the Russian counteroffensive, with the help of North Korean soldiershas managed to recover more than half of the territory occupied by Ukrainian troops.
According to the Ukrainian military information portal ‘Militarnyi’, at the end of 2024, about 460 square kilometers remained under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk.
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