Russia's Kursk region is back in the news, with word from Moscow that Ukraine launched a new offensive there on Sunday. NBC News calls the move an apparent effort to grab new territory in the region, which Ukraine first entered in August. It took a swath of territory at that time, and while Russia has retaken what military analysts estimate is 40% of that captured land, it has been unable to fully push Ukraine out, even with the assistance of North Korean soldiers. The BBC reports that the head of Ukraine's presidential office on Sunday said there "was good news from Kursk Region" and that Russia was "getting what it deserves."
The head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation said on Telegram, "The Defense Forces are actively working. The situation in the Kursk region seems to be causing significant concern among the Russians, as they were unexpectedly attacked on several fronts." Russia, for its part, suggested it had pushed back much of the offensive, claiming it destroyed two tanks and seven of what it says were 12 armored vehicles that attacked on Sunday.
Some context from the AP: "The inauguration in two weeks of US President-elect Trump has brought a new element of uncertainty and triggered an apparent effort by both sides to establish battlefield gains before any possible peace talks." Indeed, AFP reports Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday told reporters, "[Ukraine's] position in Kursk is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
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