Ukrainian Troops in New Push into Kursk

Ukrainian armed forces began a surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk region yesterday, in an apparent attempt to regain the initiative on the battlefield before Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House.

- Luke Harding

Video showed Ukrainian armoured columns advancing across snowy fields towards the village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe, north-east of the Ukrainian-held Russian town of Sudzha. Vehicles could also be seen driving through empty rustic settlements.

Ukrainian officials confirmed a substantial operation was taking place, while Russian military bloggers reported fierce fighting. Ukraine's general staff said 42 combat clashes had taken place yesterday in the Kursk area, with 12 continuing.

There were unconfirmed reports Ukrainian troops had entered the Russian hamlets of Berdin and Novosotnitskii. Overnight Ukrainian sappers removed mines, while electronic countermeasures were used to knock out some Russian drones.

Ukraine launched a significant cross-border raid nearly six months ago into the Kursk region. It was the first time enemy tanks had penetrated Russia since the second world war and was a major embarrassment for the Kremlin.

Since then Russia's army has been attempting to evict Ukrainian forces, recapturing about 40% of lost territory but unable to push them out fully.

Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, suggested Ukraine's latest attack had been successful. "Kursk region, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves," he wrote yesterday.