Ukraine has lost an area the size of Burgenland to Russia

Russia has according to reports from Kyiv last year conquered almost 3,600 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory – an area that is slightly smaller than Burgenland.

Ukraine suffered the largest territorial losses of 610 square kilometers in November, when the Russians occupied about 20 square kilometers per day, according to the military blog Militarnyi on Sunday, citing maps from the military blog “Deepstate”. The losses in 2024 are many times higher than in 2023.

There is no official confirmation of the numbers. In mid-December the Ukrainian Telegram channel had UA War Infographics The conquests by Russian troops since the beginning of 2024 are estimated at a good 2,800 square kilometers. However, Ukraine still lost 510 square kilometers in December. It is striking that Kiev’s territorial losses increased significantly after its own summer offensive and the conquests in the western Russian region of Kursk.

Even after the turn of the year, Russian troops continue to advance. In the last 24 hours they are said to have gained ground in the eastern Donetsk region near Kurakhove, near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, but also in the embattled city of Toretsk.

New Ukrainian offensive in Kursk

The Ukrainian armed forces have now launched a new offensive in the western Russian region of Kursk. “Kursk region, good news: Russia is getting what it deserves,” wrote the head of the presidential office in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, on Telegram – indirectly confirming the move. Russian military blogs initially reported on the Ukrainian attacks.

In the Kursk region, the Russians were surprised and Ukrainian attacks were carried out in several directions, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the Security and Defense Council, which reports to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The military in Kiev initially did not provide any information about the attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry also remained silent about the offensive.

The main thrust is the arterial road to Kursk, northeast of the small town of Suja, which the Ukrainians were able to capture in their surprising summer offensive. According to observers, the offensive around two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President on January 20th could serve to highlight Russian weaknesses in order to start the expected negotiations from a better position. Recently the Russians were on the rise in the Kursk region and in the east of Ukraine. Of the almost 1,000 square kilometers conquered in Kursk in the summer, the Ukrainian military currently only controls half.

Russian media: attacks repelled

According to Russian state media reports, Russian armed forces repelled the offensive. Two attacks were repelled on Sunday, news agencies reported, citing the Defense Ministry. The Russian Defense Ministry later announced that Russian artillery and air force had attacked a Ukrainian column heading towards the town of Berdin. Two tanks, a clearing vehicle and seven armored troop vehicles were destroyed. The fighting would continue. The information cannot be independently verified.

In videos that are said to have come from Kursk, several columns of armored Ukrainian vehicles can be seen marching at high speed. Mine clearance vehicles clear the way. According to Russian military bloggers, Kiev is also heavily using radio jamming mechanisms to take out Russian drones.

Recently high losses on the Russian side

Only the evening before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported heavy losses by Russian units in their attempt to recapture the Kursk region. “In fighting today and yesterday in the vicinity of the village of Makhnovka in the Kursk region alone, the Russian army lost an infantry battalion of North Korean soldiers and Russian paratroopers,” Zelensky said in his evening video message on Friday. The information could not be independently verified. According to official information, a battalion of the Russian armed forces has a troop strength of up to 500 men.

In recent weeks, videos have emerged again and again that show attempts by Russian units – sometimes reinforced by North Korean soldiers – to storm the Kursk area. You can see many destroyed Russian armored vehicles and killed soldiers. Military experts explain the seemingly hasty attack attempts as Moscow’s aim to gain as much ground as possible before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in order to have a good starting position in the expected negotiations.

Russian newspaper journalist killed by Ukrainian drone in Donetsk

A reporter for the Russian newspaper “Izvestia” was killed by a Ukrainian drone, according to the newspaper. The Ukrainian army attacked the man’s civilian car near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine with a drone. The car was far from the front. The Russian news agency RIA said two of its correspondents were also in the car and were injured, as were two journalists from a local publication.