Russia regains strategic ground in contested Kursk region
According to the British portal The Telegraph, Russia has already reclaimed half of the territory it lost to Ukraine in the Kursk region. Approximately 50,000 Russian soldiers have pushed back Ukrainian forces, who either had to flee or "end up encircled," stated a Russian general quoted by the portal.
Russian troops unsuccessfully attempted to displace Ukrainian forces from their positions in the Kursk region in western Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on Saturday.
Meanwhile, according to Russian sources and Ukrainian military bloggers, Russian forces have breached sectors of the Ukrainian front line in the Kursk region.
This information was also confirmed by the American Institute for the Study of War, which reported having "visual evidence" that Russia has reclaimed 46% of its territory in the Kursk region.
"Approximately half of the territory that was occupied by the enemy has already been liberated," said Russian General Apty Alaudinov.
Russia's advantage in this part of the front is attributed to the seasonal rains, which have turned the ground in the Kursk region into mud. The Russians are reportedly using more tracked vehicles than the Ukrainian forces.
"In general, the situation in Kursk is not so good," assessed military analysts from the Ukrainian war mapping project Deepstate, as cited by "The New York Times." They say Ukrainian forces are "taking stabilization measures, but it is extremely difficult to reclaim what has been lost."
Ukraine initiated its offensive against Russia in the Kursk region in August. While this move uplifted the spirits of Ukrainian civilians, some analysts have cautioned that rather than diverting Russian forces from the front lines, it may have compromised Ukraine's defensive capabilities, as highlighted by The Telegraph.
