Kursk’s latest attack comes as Ukraine positions itself for the possibility of pressure from Trump. for a peace deal with Moscow, which has raised fears that Kiev could be pressured into making unfavorable compromises.
And while many Ukrainians want the war, now in its third year, to end, there are concerns that a ceasefire could allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to regroup and launch more attacks when he sees fit. are
If a ceasefire is to be negotiated, Ukraine wants to do so from a position of strength, and President Vladimir Zelensky They are sticking to their rhetoric.
Russian forces had lost “up to a battalion of infantry, North Korean troops, and Russian paratroopers,” Zelensky said in his late-night address on Saturday. In a day of fighting in Kursk, the latest claim by Kiev or its supporters is that North Korean troops have suffered heavy casualties.
But the scale of Ukraine’s latest action in Kursk remains unclear.
Accounts from the Ministry of Defense and bloggers said the fighting was concentrated just north of a highway that runs from Sudza near the border to the regional capital Kursk.
An influential blogger, Yuri Podolika, called the Ukraine attack “a long-awaited last-ditch counterattack.”
“Fighting continues on the approaches to Bardin. Heavy fighting is going on, and the enemy is making a serious advance,” he said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also said in its statement that Ukraine had attacked the village of Burdin, 16 miles from Soudza. The attack included tanks, a mine-clearing vehicle, armored fighting vehicles and paratroopers, he said. But Podoliaka said it was likely a Ukrainian distraction tactic, possibly in preparation for an attack further west on Glushkovo.
Cautioning against jumping to conclusions, Lowy Institute senior fellow for military studies Mike Ryan noted that “it will probably take 24-48 hours to fully assess what’s going on with this new Ukraine offensive.” can.”