MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday it had made important gains in eastern Ukraine, but Russian war blogs said Moscow’s troops were continuing to fend off major Ukrainian attacks in western Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had captured the town of Kurakhov, 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub for Ukraine that Russia has for months Advancing towards the hub.
Meanwhile, Russian war bloggers said Ukraine launched attacks in Russia’s Kursk region for a second day on Monday, with one describing the situation as worrying.
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Ukraine began a new offensive on Sunday in Kursk, where its troops crossed the border on August 6 and have resisted Russian attempts to expel them for the past five months.
Russian troops on Sunday repelled Ukraine’s first attack north of the highway leading to the regional capital Kursk, the Defense Ministry said.
But Russian military bloggers – a group of war correspondents and experts who support Moscow’s efforts while often criticizing its shortcomings – said fierce fighting continued for a second day.
“The morning in the Kursk region is once again worrying. It is clear that yesterday’s defeat will not stop the enemy, and today he will again try to impose his will on us,” blogger Yuri Podolyaka said on Telegram Said in the document.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine after nearly three years of war, but Ukraine’s unexpected success in clinging to and retaining a portion of Russian territory could boost its negotiating position as both sides press for a possible peace this year Prepare for negotiations.
Both sides are working to improve their battlefield status ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s swearing-in on January 20.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan and Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
