The Russian counteroffensive in western Russia’s Kursk is off to a bloody and chaotic start and is not making significant progress for now.
Russia has launched an attack with a Combat Command (CC), which includes almost 180 armored vehicles, against a Ukrainian Combat Group (CG) with roughly 55 armored vehicles. The battlefront is spread over approximately 75 kilometers. In the ongoing battle, almost 70 Russian armored vehicles have been destroyed by Ukraine using drones, according to Ukrainian sources.
This seems to have halted the Russian onslaught for the time being. It is also reported that Russia is struggling to counter Ukrainian drone attacks in other regions as well.
In the last 48 hours, there has been a surge in drone attacks by both sides. Ukraine has launched nearly 100 drones towards Moscow, causing some damage on the outskirts. There has also been extensive damage in Ukraine from the increased number of Russian drone attacks.
Reports suggest that Syrian terrorists (ISIS) are operating in Ukraine. According to Russian media, these ISIS fighters are being used by Ukraine to fly drones remotely. In the ongoing information war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has released videos allegedly showing ISIS terrorists operating in Ukraine, while Ukraine has shown footage claiming North Korean soldiers are being used by Russia at the frontline.
There is a fresh sense of urgency from both sides to consolidate their positions before Trump takes office. The intensity of firepower has increased on both sides. The UK Foreign Ministry has claimed that Russia has lost 70,000 troops so far, and that Russia is losing 165 men daily over the last week. These numbers are staggering, and if there is any truth to them, it seems Russia may be eager to accept a ceasefire.
