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By John Feng and Jon Jackson
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Ukraine's military reportedly launched a new offensive in Russia's Kursk region, according to multiple Russian military bloggers on Thursday.
Kyiv officials have not yet confirmed a new major operation in the region as of press time. However, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian soldiers mounted a counterattack in the Kursk Oblast but were thwarted by Moscow's military.
Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense via email on Thursday for comment.
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Why It Matters
On August 6, 2024, Kyiv launched a military operation into Kursk, which appeared to take Russian President Vladimir Putin and even Ukraine's allies by surprise.
Ukraine has since maintained positions in Kursk, but Russia has taken back control of approximately half of the area captured by Kyiv's military, according to reports.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that Ukraine's operations in Kursk Oblast might play an "important part" during future negotiations with Russia to end the war.
What To Know
Russian military bloggers wrote Ukraine's armed forces began attacks southeast of the town of Sudzha before moving towards Fanaseevka and Ulanok.
A Wednesday map from the Institute for the Study of War think tank shows the direction of the reported Ukrainian operation into Kursk.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine's armed forces deployed up to two mechanized battalions with armored vehicles in Kursk while "assault groups launched several waves of attacks."
Russia also claimed its defenses took out six Ukrainian tanks, three clearing vehicles, three infantry fighting vehicles and 14 armored combat vehicles. Newsweek could not independently verify the information in this report.
Earlier this week, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote in an update posted on Facebook that its forces had conducted a high-precision strike on a Russian command post near Novoivanovka, a village in the Kursk Oblast.
"As a result of the operation, the facility sustained significant damage, leading to substantial casualties among enemy personnel," the General Staff update said, noting that measures were taken to limit the risk to civilians.
What People Are Saying
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a Thursday statement: "Since the morning of Feb. 6, Ukrainian armed formations have been launching counteroffensive actions toward the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in Kursk Oblast."
ISW on Thursday published as six-month assessment of Ukraine's August incursion and the continued operations going on in the region. It wrote: "The incursion has highlighted how Ukraine can exploit vulnerabilities in Russia's manpower reserves and theater-wide campaign design to exert limited control over Russian battlefield activity in Ukraine and generate strategically significant informational and political pressures on Russia."
What Happens Next
U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House has amplified speculation about negotiations to end the war started by Putin in February 2022.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said during an interview that he's ready to engage in direct talks with Putin to negotiate an end to the war. The Kremlin responded by calling Zelensky's comments "empty words" but said Moscow is always open to talks.
Update 02/06/25 12:06 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information.
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