FLASH
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Ukraine has lost over 40 percent of its territory in Russia's Kursk region, which it captured during a surprise attack in August. The loss of territory comes after a wave of attacks and counterattacks by the Russian military, a senior Ukrainian military source told Reuters news agency.
The source, who works at Ukraine's General Staff, said Russia had deployed 59,000 troops to the Kursk region since Kiev's forces entered and advanced rapidly, catching Moscow off guard some two and a half years after the full-scale attack. wide to Ukraine.
"We controlled a territory with an area of about 1,376 square kilometers, which has now narrowed. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source said. "We currently control a territory of approximately 800 square kilometers. We will hold this territory as long as it is suitable from a military point of view."
By entering Kursk, Kiev aimed to curb Russian offensives in the eastern and northeastern parts of Ukraine, force Russia to withdraw its gradually advancing forces in the east, and give Kiev an additional "weapon" in possible peace negotiations in the future.
But Russian forces are continuing to advance in the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that he believes that the main objectives of President Vladimir Putin have been the complete occupation of Donbas, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the removal of Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region.
"For Putin, the most important thing is to force us to leave the Kursk region. I'm sure he wants to leave us by January 20," President Zelenskiy told the media, referring to the time when the President-elect of the States United will take the task. "It is very important for him (Putin) to show that he has the situation under control."
The source from the Ukrainian General Staff reiterated that about 11,000 North Korean troops had been deployed in the Kursk region in support of Russia, but that most of them were completing the training phase.
Russia's Defense Ministry did not respond to a Reuters news agency request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the figures or quotes from the Ukrainian official.
Russia, which controls a fifth of Ukraine, has not confirmed or denied the presence of North Korean forces in the Kursk region.
RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN EASTERN UKRAINE
The source from the General Staff of Ukraine said that currently the Kurakhovo region is most at risk, as Russian forces were advancing and had managed to penetrate into some areas. The capture of the city of Krakhove means the advance of Russian forces towards the logistics center of Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region.
Russia currently has nearly 575,000 troops fighting in Ukraine, the source said, and aims to increase the number of forces to around 690,000.
Russia does not make public data on the number of forces in combat. Reuters news agency could not verify these figures. / VOA
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