Russia announces a Ukrainian counterattack in Kursk

Russia announced that Ukraine launched a new attack in the Kursk region in western Russia, and described the move as the beginning of a “counterattack,” while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President-elect Donald Trump, and Peskov told reporters. In response to a question about whether such contacts are being prepared, as stated in Western statements, “At the present time there are no such plans.” The Russian Ministry of Defense said: The Ukrainian attack aimed to stop the advance of Russian forces in the Kursk region, and the Russian army statement stated that “the attacking group from the Ukrainian army was defeated.”