ISW reports where Ukrainian army achieved success during new offensive in Kursk region
Geolocated footage shows the advancement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On Sunday, January 5, the Armed Forces of Ukraine resumed offensive operations in at least three areas of the Ukrainian salient in the Kursk region. The Defense Forces achieved tactical successes; however, there were also advancements by Russian forces, reports the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts report that, according to Russian sources, the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted several mechanized attacks, roughly at the company level, along the Berdin-Novosotnitsky direction (northeast of Sudzha). The attacks were carried out in three waves, involving armored vehicles at approximately battalion strength.
Additionally, Russian sources claim that Ukrainian forces intensified offensive operations toward Leonidovo (southeast of Korenevo) and conducted a reinforced mechanized attack at platoon strength near Pushkarnoye (east of Sudzha).
Geolocated footage from January 5 indicates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced through fields to the southwest and south of Berdin, entering the southern part of the settlement.
In addition, Russian military bloggers have published updated maps of the combat zone near Kursk (in the Kursk region), indicating that as of January 5, Ukrainian Armed Forces also hold positions in Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Martynovka, and Mikhaylovka (all northeast of Sudzha and southwest of Berdin). They also reported that Ukrainian forces recently entered the settlement of Novosotnitsky (just east of Berdin); and advanced in fields west of Yamskaya Step (immediately northwest of Berdin) and west of Novaya Sorochina (north of Sudzha and northwest of Berdin).
Furthermore, according to Russian war correspondents, Ukrainian forces carried out offensive operations with small infantry groups in the vicinity of Nikolskiy and Alexandriya (east and southeast of Leonidovo, respectively) and north of Russkaya Konopelka (east of Sudzha) towards Pushkarnoye. However, they did not provide details regarding any significant Ukrainian advances in these areas.
Russian military bloggers primarily expressed concern that the renewed Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) attacks in the Kursk region could be a diversionary tactic. They also noted that it is too early to determine whether these operations might become part of a broader, future strategic effort.
At the same time, the enemy has also made advances. On January 5, Russian forces moved southeast of Sudzha and countered intensified UAF attacks southeast of Korenevo and north of Sudzha. Geolocated footage indicates that Russian troops advanced in the western and southern parts of Makhnovka (slightly southeast of Sudzha).
As of the evening of January 5, a total of 177 battles took place along the entire line of engagement. More than half of these occurred in the Pokrovsk direction (50) and in Russia's Kursk region (44).
