Ukraine has lost more than 40% of the territory captured in August in Kurshchyna – Reuters

Due to Russian counterattacks, Ukraine has lost more than 40% of the territory in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, which it captured during hostilities in August, Reuters reports with reference to a high-ranking Ukrainian military source.

A source working in the General Staff of Ukraine reported that Russia has deployed about 59,000 troops in the Kursk region.

“At the maximum we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers, now, of course, this territory has become smaller. The enemy is intensifying counterattacks. We currently control approximately 800 square kilometers. We will hold this territory as long as it is expedient from a military point of view,” the source said.

The Kursk operation was the first land invasion of a foreign power into Russia since World War II and caught Moscow by surprise.

By advancing on Kursk, the UAF aimed to stop Russian attacks in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, force Russia to withdraw its forces, and give Kyiv additional leverage in any future peace negotiations. But Russian troops continue to advance in the Donetsk region.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the latest assessment of the situation in the Kursk region. Reuters was unable to independently verify the figures or descriptions provided.

The President of the Russian Federation Volodymyr Putin has set the goal of ousting Ukrainian troops from the Kursk Region (RF) by January 20, 2025 – the date of the US President’s inauguration, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in a conversation with journalists during the 3rd International Conference on Food Security “Grain from Ukraine” “.