Ukraine launches surprise offensive in Kursk region

Ukraine has launched a fresh counterattack in the Russian border region of Kursk as it looks to gain the most territory it can ahead of possible peace negotiations - with US presidentelect Donald Trump saying he wants to end the war as soon as possible.

- TOM WATLING

The attack started over the weekend, with unverified footage circulated by Russian military bloggers showing a column of Ukrainian tanks and armoured personnel carriers heading towards the village of Berdin, outside the area of Kursk that Ukraine currently controls.

Kyiv’s military has not officially acknowledged a fresh offensive, months after an initial incursion that caught Russia off guard and allowed Ukraine to capture a swathe of Russian territory in the region. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said: “Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves.”

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation, an official body, said Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in several locations across Kursk.

Russian military bloggers, who are under the control of the Kremlin but sometimes speak more openly about the difficulties facing Moscow’s troops, suggested on the Telegram messenger app that some of their forces were “worried” about the assault.