The Russian army announced progress in its military campaign, retaking 60% of the territory controlled by Ukrainian forces in Kursk province.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry , after the Ukrainian army's attack on Kursk last August, Kyiv controlled more than 1,200 square kilometers in Kursk. Since then, Russia has launched attacks to push Ukraine back and has so far recaptured about 800 square kilometers, according to The Moscow Times .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Western allies have described each area Kyiv controls in Kursk as important and a possible bargaining chip if Kyiv and Moscow come to the negotiating table.
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Meanwhile, Bloomberg this week, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “open to the possibility of a territorial exchange” with Ukraine as part of potential discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump. However, the Russian leader will demand Western guarantees that Kyiv will never join NATO and will accept limits on its military capabilities.
Russian T-72 tanks in the town of Sudzha in Kursk province in August
More than five months after the Kursk offensive, Ukrainian forces are said to be losing control, as Russia increases its support in Kursk and also makes progress on the eastern front. The Ukrainian military-linked military monitoring site DeepState said Kyiv's army still controls about 420 square kilometers in Kursk. About 150,000 people have been evacuated in Kursk to ensure safety.
In a related development, the Russian army on January 17 announced that it had taken control of the settlements of Leonidovo and Aleksandriya and captured a number of Ukrainian soldiers, TASS reported.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nga-tuyen-bo-gianh-lai-60-dien-tich-ukraine-tung-kiem-soat-o-kursk-185250118151637238.htm
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