Ukrainian Forces Launch New Advance in Russian Territory
On February 6, 2025, Ukrainian forces launched a new advance in the Kursk region of Russia, which has been under Ukrainian control since August 2024. According to Russian Defense Ministry reports, Ukrainian troops, including mechanized battalions, moved south from the settlement of Machnowka, bypassing the settlement of Tscherkasskaja Konopelka, which Russian forces had liberated in the new year.
The purpose of the advance is unclear, but it may be an attempt to secure control of the land roads in the area, which are crucial for the supply of Ukrainian troops and equipment from the Ukrainian border in the Sumy region.
Russian forces reportedly repelled the Ukrainian advance, with the help of drone and artillery strikes and claimed to have destroyed six Ukrainian tanks, three mine-clearing tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 14 other armored vehicles, as well as inflicting significant casualties on the Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that the settlements of Tscherkasskaja Konopelka and Ulanok remain under Russian control and that the Ukrainian forces were unable to capture them. The ministry claimed that the Ukrainian troops were forced to disperse in the surrounding forests and were being targeted by Russian forces.