Ukrainian Forces gain ground in Kursk region amid new offensive
In a strategic counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces advanced up to 5 kilometers in the Kursk region. On February 6, marking six months since the start of the Kursk military operation, Ukrainian troops launched a mechanized battalion-scale attack southeast of Sudzha.
Russian war correspondents report that Fanaseyevka and Cherkasskaya Konopelka are now under Ukrainian control. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War have examined the recent Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Footage from February 6 highlighted the Ukrainian advance southwest of Makhnovka and northeast of Cherkasskaya Konopelka along the Sudzha-Oboyan highway. The Ukrainian forces managed to push the enemy out of both Fanaseyevka and Kolmakov.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the Ukrainian counteroffensive, acknowledging battles near Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanka. Russian war correspondents claim that the Ukrainian attack utilized between 30 to 50 pieces of military equipment. One group purportedly attacked Russian positions from the Makhnovka direction. However, Russian forces reportedly managed to fend off only one counterattack coming from Dmitriukov towards Russkaya Konopelka.
Meanwhile, war channel "Rybar" asserts that Cherkasskaya Konopelka is under Ukrainian control, though two other correspondents disagree.
The ISW has yet to find evidence confirming Ukrainian presence in Ulanka. The day before, Russian forces reportedly made minor advancements in wooded areas southwest of Kurilovka.
"Rybar" also claimed a counterattack by Ukrainian troops towards Kruglenkoye, northwest of Sudzha, yet analysts found no visual confirmation. Russian war correspondents lamented adverse weather conditions, which hindered drone operators. Z-channels suggest the Ukrainian objective is to threaten the rear areas of Putin's forces by disrupting their logistics. Simultaneously, Ukraine seeks to establish a supply route connecting troops in the Kursk region with Ukrainian territory bordering Russia.