Russia said on Friday it had recaptured another village in the Kursk region from which it is seeking to finally expel Ukrainian troops after nearly eight months of fighting.
However, pro-Russian military bloggers have expressed alarm over the situation in Belgorod, a neighboring Russian region where Ukrainian forces invaded this month.
In Kursk, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had recaptured the village of Gogolevka, one of the few settlements still under Ukrainian control out of about 100 it captured last August.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that over the past 24 hours, its forces have stopped 18 attacks by Russian troops in the Kursk region. There were no comments on the situation in Belgorod.
Open source maps from Deep State, a respected Ukrainian military blogger, showed that Russian forces control part but not all of Gogolivka, and indicated that Ukrainian forces continue to hold just under 80 square kilometers of Kursk.
Reuters was unable to confirm battlefield reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk this month, a sign of growing confidence that Russia will soon retake it, ruining Ukraine's chances of success in future peace talks being brokered by the United States.
In Belgorod, Russia first claimed on March 18 that Ukrainian units had attempted to break through the border. As of Friday, several influential Russian military bloggers noted that Ukrainian groups were maintaining their positions inside the region.
One of them, Arkhangelsk Spetsnaz, reported that Ukrainian troops were still in the village of Popovka and fighting was continuing, adding that “the situation remains tense.”
Another blogger, Rybar, noted that there were violent clashes in Popovka, with both sides firing at each other using drones.
A third blog, Two Majors, reported that Russian troops continue to conduct defensive operations in the region.
“Constant strikes are being carried out on concentrations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the enemy retains significant offensive potential in this direction and does not abandon plans for further breakthroughs, including new sections of the front,” Dva Mayora wrote on Telegram.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
