Russia retaking Kursk area seized by Ukraine: source

Ukraine has lost more than 40 per cent of the territory in Russia's Kursk region that it rapidly seized in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted waves of counter-assaults, a senior Ukrainian military source says.

The source, who is on Ukraine's General Staff, said Russia had deployed about 59,000 troops to the Kursk region since Ukraine's forces swept in and advanced swiftly, catching Russia unprepared two and a half years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"At most, we controlled about 1376 square kilometres, now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source said.

"Now we control approximately 800 square kilometres. We will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate."

Ukraine's Kursk offensive was the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II.

With the thrust into Kursk, Ukraine aimed to stem Russian attacks in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, force Russia to pull back forces gradually advancing in the east and give Ukraine extra leverage in any future peace negotiations.

But Russian forces are still steadily advancing in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

The Ukrainian General Staff source reiterated that about 11,000 North Korean troops had arrived in the Kursk region in support of Russia but that the bulk of their forces was still finalising their training.

The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Ukraine's latest assessment of the state of play in the Kursk region.

Reuters could not independently verify the figures or descriptions given.

Russian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Korean forces in Kursk.

Ukraine's armed forces chief said on November 11 that its beleaguered forces were not just battling crack Russian reinforcements in Kursk but also scrambling to reinforce two besieged fronts in eastern Ukraine and bracing for an infantry assault in the south.

The General Staff source said the Kurakhove region was the most threatening for Ukraine now as Russian forces were advancing there at 200-300 metres a day and had managed to break through in some areas with armoured vehicles backed by anti-drone defences.

The town of Kurakhove is a stepping stone towards the critical logistical hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

Overall Russia has about 575,000 troops fighting in Ukraine at the moment, the Ukrainian General Staff source said, and is aiming to increase its forces up to about 690,000.

Russia does not disclose numbers involved in its fighting and Reuters could not independently verify those figures.

Ukraine has sought to disrupt Russian logistics and supply chains by hitting weapons and ammunition depots, airfields and other military targets well inside Russia.

Russia occupies a fifth of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin has said he wants Ukraine to drop ambitions to join the NATO military alliance and retreat from four Ukrainian regions that he partially holds, demands Ukriane has rejected as tantamount to capitulation.

UKrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Russian drone and missile attacks had damaged 321 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities since July last year,

Twenty merchant ships belonging to other countries were also damaged by Russian strikes, he added.

Ukrainian forces launched a guided missile attack on the Russian-occupied port city of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, the Kremlin-appointed local administration said on Saturday.

Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said that no one was injured, the port's work was not affected and fires caused by the attack have been extinguished.

Ukrainian Telegram channels reported a loud explosion was heard in Berdiansk shortly before midnight on Friday.

Berdiansk was one of Ukraine's busiest ports before the war.

The city was occupied early in the all-out invasion launched by Russia in February 2022.

with DPA