Ukraine has inflicted major losses on Putin’s army in Kursk as fighting continues to rage in Russia’s border region.
Kyiv’s forces seized almost 1,400 square kilometres of the Kursk region in a lightning raid in the summer in a move that shook the Kremlin.
Putin has ordered his generals to retake the territory by February and has amassed an army of roughly 60,000, that includes some 10,000 North Koreans.
Despite being heavily outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine’s forces continue to frustrate the Russian counterattack, inflicting devastating casualties in the process.
Kyiv’s army destroyed at least ninety Russian armoured vehicles in recent days, as well as killing and wounding thousands of soldiers and taking scores of prisoners.
The Russians were routed after attempting to force a breakthrough in an area stretching between Tolstyi Lug, Zelenyi Shlyakh, and Nizhnii Klin.
Wave after wave of Russian mechanised units attempted to breach heavily fortified Ukrainian positions.
The Ukrainians, however, had anticipated the attack, laying extensive minefields and erecting anti-tank dragon’s teeth.
Geolocated images from the battle show some Russian armoured vehicles foundering on the dragon’s teeth and subsequently being picked off by Ukrainian forces.
Others were caught in the open and swiftly destroyed by a combination of Javelin missiles, artillery strikes, and FPV drone attacks.
Further footage showed fields cluttered with burning remnants of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles.
Kriegsforscher, a Ukrainian Marine Corps drone operator, calculated at least ninety wrecked and abandoned Russian armoured vehicles just in his operational sector.
Ukraine’s military also posted images of scores of Russian soldiers it took prisoner during the heavy fighting.
Kyiv’s army chiefs also noted that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russians in the region had sustained heavy losses over the weekend.
They claimed that some 30 North Koreans were killed or wounded in the fighting, and three had gone missing during clashes near villages close to the border.
Russia has succeeded in retaking over 40% of the captured territory, according to a source inside Ukraine’s army.
“At most, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometres (531 square miles); now, of course, this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks,” the source said.
“Now we control approximately 800 square kilometres (309 square miles). We will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate.”
