Russia claimed on Sunday that Ukraine had launched a counterattack in the Kursk region, a western Russian area where fighting has persisted for months. Ukrainian forces reportedly crossed into the region in August, holding ground that could serve as leverage in potential peace talks.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Ukrainian troops initiated the assault around 9:00 a.m. Moscow time (0600 GMT) near the village of Berdin. The attack involved two tanks, a mine-clearing vehicle, and twelve armored combat vehicles carrying paratroopers.
“Artillery and aviation of the North group of Russian forces defeated the assault group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that two Ukrainian attacks had been repelled.
The claims could not be independently verified by Reuters.
Prominent Russian military bloggers reported that Ukraine’s latest offensive has placed Russian troops on the defensive. The Operativnye Svodki (Operational Reports) channel noted intense artillery and small-arms battles, with Ukrainian forces employing Western-supplied armored vehicles to mobilize infantry.
Fighting is reportedly concentrated north of a highway connecting Sudzha, near the border, to Kursk, the regional capital. However, Yuri Podolyak, an influential Russian blogger, suggested the attack could be a diversion to mask preparations for a strike on Glushkovo, further west. Podolyak urged civilians in Glushkovo and Korenevo to evacuate.
This development comes as both sides remain locked in a protracted conflict, with no immediate signs of resolution.
