Ukraine doubles down on Kursk with new offensive into Russia

KYIV — Ukrainian forces kicked off a new counterattack deep into Russian territory on Sunday, sparking a spate of fierce battles along the front lines.

According to footage posted online, columns of Ukrainian armored vehicles have made gains in the region, with local media reporting Kyiv’s troops were pushing toward the villages of Velykye Soldatske and Pushkarne.

“Good news,” said Andrii Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office. “The Russians are getting what they deserve in the Kursk region,” he wrote on Telegram.

At the same time, Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed that the counteroffensive had begun. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces declined to comment immediately following a request from POLITICO.

Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border raid in August 2024, overwhelming Russian border guards and capturing towns and villages in the Kursk region. Despite Moscow drafting in North Korean troops to fight back, the Russian armed forces have struggled to regain ground.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy said the engagement was proving costly for the Kremlin. “Near just one village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops. This is significant,” he said.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 179 separate clashes along the tense line of contact the same day, with skirmishes around the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the city of Pokrovsk in the country’s Donbas region. They estimated as many as 1,730 Russian personnel were killed or captured in the assaults.

Veronika Melkozerova reported from Kyiv. Gabriel Gavin reported from Prague.